Lionel Messi once again showcased his brilliance for Inter Miami, scoring twice in their 4-0 win over Atlanta United in the early hours of Monday—just a day after missing Argentina’s friendly victory over Venezuela.
The 38-year-old World Cup winner had been called up by Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni for the team’s friendlies against Venezuela and Puerto Rico. Although Messi trained with the national squad during the week, he was left out of the lineup for Friday’s 1-0 win at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Scaloni later explained that his decision to rest Messi was to allow him to evaluate the attacking partnership between Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez.
However, many fans were taken aback when Messi appeared in Inter Miami’s starting lineup less than 24 hours later. Team coach Javier Mascherano has now clarified the situation.
“Yesterday, before the match, I talked to [Argentina coach Lionel] Scaloni, and he said he wasn’t going to use Messi, that he would rest him,” Mascherano said after the game. “So I spoke with Leo to see if he could play. It was his decision, and since he wasn’t playing against Venezuela, we decided to use him. Leo, of course, was ready.”
Messi responded with a dazzling performance, showing no signs of fatigue. He opened the scoring in the 39th minute with a sublime curler and added a second goal in the 87th minute to seal the emphatic victory.
According to reports, Messi’s brace took his season tally to 26 goals, moving him to the top of the MLS scoring chart. He also provided an assist for Jordi Alba’s goal, while Luis Suárez completed the rout against a subdued Atlanta side.
“He’s a very special player—an icon,” Mascherano added. “Even though he didn’t train with us last week, we all saw what he did today. He helped us win, and scoring was important for him.”
With the win, Inter Miami, already guaranteed a playoff spot, remain third in the Eastern Conference standings, level on points with second-placed FC Cincinnati as they continue their push for a strong postseason run.
