ATLANTA (AP) — Lionel Messi scored two second-half goals four minutes apart as Inter Miami cruised to a 3-1 victory over Atlanta United on Saturday night.
Neither team scored until Germán Berterame used assists from Luis Suárez in the final minute of the first half to score his ninth goal in his first 26 MLS appearances.
Messi added his league-leading 24th and 25th goals in the 56th and 60th minutes for a 3-0 advantage.
Messi on the break 1v1? Good luck. Leo has his brace. 🇦🇷 https://t.co/CoI15KzLpw
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 18, 2026
Messi won the Golden Boot Award last season with 29 goals. He and Josef Martínez are the only players in league history to score at least 25 times in a regular season twice.
Berterame has eight assists and Suárez notched his career-high 11th.
Dayne St. Clair had two saves and lost his bid for a clean sheet when Fafà Picault scored on a penalty kick in the 89th minute.
Lucas Hoyos saved two shots for Atlanta United, which played Inter Miami to a 2-2 draw on the road to start September.
