Lionel Messi scored two goals and added an assist in a 4-0 win over Atlanta United as he and Sergio Busquets both started in Inter Miami CF‘s starting lineup on Tuesday night at DRV PNK Stadium for the first time since joining the MLS side.
It didn’t take long for the former Barcelona teammates to make an impact, with Busquets lofting a perfect ball over Atlanta’s defense to Messi, who missed with his first attempt but put back the rebound to give Miami a 1-0 lead in the eighth minute.
Messi then added another goal on a counterattack in the 22nd minute to double the margin with an assist from Robert Taylor, who scored Miami’s third to give the team a 3-0 lead at halftime of the Leagues Cup match.
Taylor scored a fourth goal for Miami after the break with assist coming from Messi, who was substituted in the 78th minute to a rousing ovation from the home crowd. Busquets left the game six minutes earlier and was replaced by Victor Ulloa.
“It was a good performance and I’m pleased we were able to make our fans happy. A very good game and we took another step in the right direction,” said Miami manager Gerardo Martino.
Miami swept its group and moved on to the round of 32 in the Leagues Cup, in which it will host a to-be-determined opponent.
With the two goals against by Messi, Atlanta becomes the 100th club that he has scored against.
Busquets and Messi spent 13 years playing alongside each other in Barca’s first team before the Argentine moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, and they have remained close friends since their trophy-laden run at Camp Nou.
“So many years playing together so it’s very easy to play with him”, Busquets said about playing with Messi. “I’m so happy to be by his side.”
Messi and Busquets came on as substitutes in their debuts in a dramatic win over Cruz Azul on Friday that saw Messi win the game on the final kick.
Martino managed Messi and Busquets for a season at Barcelona and said after the match he wasn’t surprised to see them connect for the opening goal.
“These two players are so good at what they do, they create space,” Martino said when asked about how Messi/Busquets help open things up for others.
The match was also Martino’s first against his former club Atlanta, which he led to the MLS Cup title in 2018. Martino, who was named Miami coach on June 28, confirmed on Monday that Messi would be the team’s captain against Atlanta and moving forward.
“I think the fans respond according to what they see and what the team transmits to them. Many come to see Lionel. Celebrities and regular fans. He stands out but he can also spread that support from the fans to the rest of the team,” Martino added.
His thoughts on fans leaving in droves after Messi was substituted: “I didn’t really notice. The type of player he is, Messi is a global star, some fans might only be here to see him, but he would prefer if the fans would stay until the end to applaud the team, but I can also understand it.”
Last Friday, Messi produced a trademark moment of magic to give Miami a 2-1 win, curling a free kick from just outside the penalty area into the top corner to put a bow on the storybook saga that saw him ultimately sign with co-owner David Beckham’s side in MLS.
Miami and Atlanta are currently playing in the inaugural Leagues Cup competition — a World Cup-style tournament between MLS and Liga MX sides. Messi could make his official debut in an MLS game at home against Charlotte on Aug. 20.
One player who will have to wait for his debut is another former Barcelona player in Jordi Alba, who signed with Miami on July 20, as he was not included in Miami’s squad list for the game against Atlanta.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
