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Inter Miami fans on X have praised Lionel Messi after he scored a brilliant brace to inspire them to a 2-1 win over Nashville SC. The two sides locked horns in the MLS at the Chase Stadium on Saturday, July 12.
Despite Luis Suarez missing an open goal in the opening minutes, Lionel Messi broke the deadlock in the 17th minute with a brilliant free-kick into the bottom left corner. However, Hany Mukhtar's perfectly-timed header leveled the scores in the 49th minute.
Nashville goalkeeper Joe Willis had a moment to forget 13 minutes later, when he accidentally passed the ball directly to Messi. The latter made no mistake, tapping home into an empty net to secure all three points for Inter Miami.
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Lionel Messi broke an MLS record following his two goals against Nashville. The 38-year-old has now scored five braces in a row in the league. He was named the Player of the Match as well, receiving a match rating of 9.2.
Messi created one chance, landed two shots on target from three attempts (67 percent), and completed 37 passes from an attempted 44 (84 percent). He also completed the most dribbles (six) and won the most duels (eight) in the game.
One Inter Miami fan reckons Lionel Messi is 10x better than Cristiano Ronaldo when the latter was 38, posting:
"Haters wont accept the fact but messi at 38 was 10x the player ronaldo was at 38"
Another fan tweeted:
"Day in, Day out, 38 years of age. YOU ARE NOT REAL"
Other fans reacted below:
"He is just a genius please no one comes close," one fan commented
"Messi is so underrated no way people compare him to Ronaldo," another added
"If not for Messi, this club for dey lose back to back ajeh," one fan insisted
"Messi has no business in the MLS. We need him in those UCL nights," another claimed
"He's a joke, for me the best ever," one fan chimed in
Disclaimer: The above stats were taken from FotMob on July 13, 2025. They are subject to change.
"We’ll find the right time to give him a break" - Inter Miami boss Javier Mascherano provides glowing verdict on Lionel Messi following record-breaking performance against Nashville
Javier Mascherano has waxed lyrical about Lionel Messi after he netted his fifth consecutive MLS brace to inspire Inter Miami to a 2-1 win over Nashville. He also claimed he is holding discussions with Messi to find the right time to give him a break amid growing concerns over the Argentine's workload.
Following the game, Mascherano said (via GOAL):
“Obviously, we’re monitoring the situation daily and having ongoing conversations with him. We’ll find the right time to give him a break. What he continues to do is unbelievable - breaking records every three days. He’s the flag bearer of this team, our leader, and he sets the standard for how we compete. It’s truly a blessing to be part of this stage of his career.”
Lionel Messi has scored 22 goals and provided seven assists in 27 appearances across all competitions for Inter Miami this season. He will be aiming to continue his momentum in their next fixture against Cincinnati on Wednesday, July 16.
