After a one-match goalless outing, Lionel Messi bounced back with a stunning brace in the Major League Soccer (MLS), leading Inter Miami to a commanding 5-1 victory over New York Red Bulls. In the process, the Argentine superstar surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for non-penalty goals.
In the MLS clash at Red Bull Arena, Inter Miami faced an early setback when Alexander Hecker scored in the 14th minute to put the hosts ahead. However, Messi orchestrated a swift comeback. In the 24th minute, his brilliant assist from outside the box allowed Jordi Alba to equalize, leaving three Red Bulls defenders stunned. This assist marked a significant milestone for Messi, as he has now directly contributed to 30 or more goals for 19 consecutive calendar years since 2007, a streak he maintained through his time at Barcelona, PSG, and now Inter Miami.
Inter Miami capitalized further in the first half, with Telasco Segovia scoring twice in the 27th minute and the third minute of stoppage time. After the break, Messi took center stage. In the 60th minute, he latched onto a sublime pass from Sergio Busquets, outsmarting the goalkeeper to score. Fifteen minutes later, Messi sealed his brace with a clinical finish, securing Inter Miami’s 5-1 triumph.
With this brace, Messi broke Ronaldo’s record for non-penalty goals. Ronaldo had 763 non-penalty goals out of his 938 career goals, but Messi’s latest strikes took his non-penalty tally to 764, with a career total of 874 goals in 167 fewer matches than Ronaldo.
The victory propelled Inter Miami to fifth in the MLS Eastern Conference with 41 points from 21 matches (12 wins, 5 draws, 4 losses). The top four teams, led by Nashville with 47 points from 24 matches, have played three more games than Miami.
Note For Readers:
The CEO handles all legal and staff issues. Claiming human help before the first hearing isn't part of our rules.
Our system uses humans and AI, including freelance journalists, editors, and reporters.
The CEO can confirm if your issue involves a person or AI.
by 
