Messi Scores Twice for Inter Miami Days After Emotional Argentina Farewell

Four days. That is all the rest Lionel Messi allowed himself after one of the most emotional nights of his life. On Saturday night at Nu Stadium in Miami, the 39-year-old walked back onto a football pitch for Inter Miami against D.C. United, just four days after saying goodbye to Argentina forever. Within ninety minutes, he had scored twice, dragged his team out of a five-match winless run, and reminded everyone watching that some players simply do not switch off. Miami won 4-0, Luis Suárez scored two of his own, and the night felt like a celebration from start to finish.

The short version

For anyone short on time, here is the whole story in a few lines. Inter Miami beat D.C. United 4-0 in the MLS on Saturday night, October 10. Suárez gave Miami a dream start with two first-half goals. Messi then took over after half-time, scoring in the 47th and 60th minutes. The victory was Miami’s first win in six matches, their first under new head coach Cristian “Kily” González in the league, and it lifted them to second place in the Eastern Conference with 49 points. Messi’s two goals also took him to 23 league goals for the season, four clear at the top of the Golden Boot race.

A farewell, then straight back to business

To understand why this match mattered so much, you have to go back four days. Earlier in the week, Messi played his final match for Argentina, bringing the curtain down on a 21-year international career that made him the most decorated and beloved player in his country’s history. It was not a quiet goodbye either. Against Benin, in his last ever appearance in the light blue and white shirt, he scored one goal and created two more, the kind of performance that summed up two decades of magic in a single evening.

Many players would have taken a week to recover from a night like that, especially at 39 years old. Messi did the opposite. He returned to Miami, trained, and started against D.C. United, playing the full ninety minutes. There was no sign of an emotional hangover. If anything, he looked like a man who had been freed of a weight, playing with joy and hunger from the first whistle.

Suarez strikes twice in the first half

Before Messi’s second-half show, the opening forty-five minutes belonged to his old friend. Luis Suárez, now in his third season with Miami, struck almost immediately. In the 3rd minute, Germán Berterame headed the ball into his path, and Suárez finished neatly inside the left post to make it 1-0. It was the perfect start for a team that had been struggling for results.

D.C. United tried to settle, but Miami kept pushing, and the second goal arrived in the 39th minute in classic Suárez style. This time Messi was involved first, forcing goalkeeper Sean Johnson into a save with a close-range shot. Berterame reacted fastest to the rebound and headed it across goal, where Suárez, as he has done hundreds of times in his career, was standing in exactly the right place to tap the ball home.

Two goals before half-time meant Suárez reached 15 goals and 9 assists for the season. It is his third straight year with at least ten goals and twenty goal contributions, numbers that silence anyone who questions his value. After the match, coach González made that point clearly, saying about Suárez, as reported by MLS: “Luis is one of the most important players on the squad.” He added that anyone who did not understand that before should now understand he is fundamental to the team.

Messi takes over after the break

If the first half was about Suárez, the second half was pure Messi. Just two minutes after the restart, in the 47th minute, the pair combined in reverse. This time Suárez turned provider, sliding a pass to Messi near the six-yard box, and Messi guided a close-range finish inside the right post. The stadium erupted. The king was back at work.

His second goal, in the 60th minute, was the one that will live longer in the memory. Rodrigo De Paul found him with a pass, and Messi collected it, dribbled into the area past two defenders who could not get near him, and finished from around twelve yards past Sean Johnson. It was a goal built on balance, control, and calm finishing, the same qualities that have defined his entire career, still fully intact at 39.

By then the match was over as a contest. Miami had their 4-0 win, D.C. United were beaten, and the home crowd had been treated to a masterclass from the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner in his first club appearance since the farewell.

What made the performance even more encouraging for Miami was how the creativity was shared around the team. Berterame, whose movement caused problems all evening, finished the night with two assists. Sergio Reguilón and Rodrigo De Paul added one assist each, and Suárez combined his two goals with an assist for Messi. When a team wins with its goals and assists spread across so many players, it is a sign of a side finding its rhythm again at exactly the right time of the season.

The Golden Boot and MVP race

Messi’s two goals were not just about one night. They took his totals for the MLS season to 23 goals and 13 assists, the kind of output most forwards can only dream of across a whole career peak, never mind at 39. In the Golden Boot race, he now sits four goals ahead of his nearest rival, FC Dallas striker Petar Musa, and he is chasing a second straight Golden Boot.

The individual honours could go even further. Messi could become the first player in history to win the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award three times. With form like this and Miami climbing the table, that once-unthinkable record is now a genuine possibility heading into the final stretch of the season.

Why this win matters for Miami

The result itself was just as important as the individual storylines. Miami had gone five matches without a win, drawing four and losing one, and had not tasted victory since a wild 7-1 win over CF Montreal back on August 29. That run had raised real questions about the team’s direction.

Saturday’s win answered many of them. It was also the first league victory for head coach Cristian “Kily” González, who took charge on September 16, and he knew exactly how much it meant. As reported by The National, he said afterwards: “We had to win again, and we did it convincingly.” With 13 wins and 49 points, Miami now sit second in the Eastern Conference. For D.C. United, stuck on 30 points, the defeat pushed them further behind in the race for the playoffs.

What happens next

There is no long rest ahead. Inter Miami are back at home on Wednesday night, when they host New York City FC. After a performance like Saturday’s, the home fans will arrive expecting more of the same: Suárez sharp in the box, Messi pulling the strings, and a team that suddenly looks like it believes again. Four days after he closed the biggest chapter of his life, Messi has already started writing the next one, and on this evidence, it could be a very good one.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many goals did Messi score against D.C. United?

Messi scored two goals in Inter Miami’s 4-0 win. He found the net in the 47th minute with a close-range finish from a Suárez pass, and again in the 60th minute after dribbling past two defenders.

Who else scored for Inter Miami in the match?

Luis Suárez scored the other two goals, both in the first half. He opened the scoring in the 3rd minute and added his second in the 39th minute.

Was this Messi’s first match after retiring from Argentina?

Yes. It was his first club match after his final appearance for Argentina four days earlier, when he scored once and made two assists against Benin to end his 21-year international career.

How many goals does Messi have this MLS season?

Messi now has 23 goals and 13 assists this season. He leads the Golden Boot race by four goals ahead of FC Dallas striker Petar Musa.

When do Inter Miami play next?

Inter Miami’s next match is on Wednesday night, when they host New York City FC.

Sources: MLS Soccer, NDTV Sports, The National and Mathrubhumi English reported this match on October 11, 2026.