For the first time since the World Cup, Lionel Messi is back on the scoresheet — and he picked the perfect stage to do it.

Messi scored twice and added an assist in Inter Miami's Leagues Cup-opening 4-2 win over Atlético de San Luis on Wednesday night, delivering a commanding performance in a competition he has previously owned. It was a welcome response after Miami blew a lead and settled for a draw in Messi's return to MLS play over the weekend.

Two Goals and an Assist

Messi opened his account in the 11th minute with a stunning first-time volley off Noah Allen's cross from the left, bringing Miami level after an early concession. The connection between the young fullback and the Argentine maestro was on full display throughout the night.

In the 44th minute, Messi struck again to give Miami a 3-1 lead. Once more it came off a cross from the left by Allen, with Yannick Bright's clever dummy leaving Messi with enough time and space from close range to pick out his spot and slot home.

Just before halftime, Messi tacked on an assist, delivering a corner kick that defender Micael headed in to make it 4-1 and effectively put the game out of reach.

Leagues Cup History Made

Messi's brace gave him sole possession of the Leagues Cup all-time scoring mark — at least temporarily. LAFC's Denis Bouanga matched him later in the night with a goal of his own in a match against Chivas de Guadalajara.

Of Messi's 14 career Leagues Cup goals, 10 came in the seminal 2023 tournament — the competition where he made his Miami debut in storybook fashion, scoring on a free kick in stoppage time to deliver his new club a win over Cruz Azul. That tournament announced Messi's arrival in the U.S. and was capped by his first trophy lift with the club.

Three years later, neither the stakes nor the scenes were quite that dramatic, but the performance served as a powerful reminder of Messi's enduring quality and his special relationship with the Leagues Cup.

What's Next

Messi's chance to add goal No. 15 and beyond comes Saturday against Monterrey. The Mexican side will be desperate for a win after falling 2-1 to Orlando City on Wednesday, where new star signing Antoine Griezmann scored again for the Lions.

Monterrey have bolstered their squad with a double dip in the MLS transfer market, acquiring Diego Rossi and Hugo Cuypers — the latter still tied for the MLS lead in goals (13) after a scorching pre-World Cup run with the Chicago Fire.

Miami's final opening-phase match will come against León next Wednesday. León impressed with a 1-0 victory over MLS Supporters' Shield leader Nashville SC on Wednesday.

Leagues Cup Format

In the Leagues Cup, 18 MLS qualifiers and all 18 Liga MX teams feature and play against opponents from the opposite league for the first three games, but are placed in a single table with teams from their own league. After that stretch, the top four MLS teams and top four Liga MX teams advance to the quarterfinals, which are also interleague matchups — the highest-seeded team from one league plays the lowest qualifier from the other, and vice versa.

The finalists qualify for the following season's Concacaf Champions Cup, and the winner bypasses into the CCC round of 16.