Lionel Messi scored twice in his first game after retiring from Argentina, leading Inter Miami to a 4-0 win over D.C. United on Saturday night. The performance pushed his league-leading goal total to 23 for the season and ended a five-match winless run for the club.
Messi played all 90 minutes, just four days removed from his farewell match with the Argentine national team. The timing made the outing as much a statement about his club future as it was about a lopsided scoreline against D.C. United.
The Main Development
Messi opened the scoring in the 47th minute, finishing from close range off a pass from Luis Suárez. He added his second in the 60th minute, converting from 12 yards after Rodrigo De Paul set him up. Suárez also found the net twice, and Germán Berterame recorded two assists as Inter Miami controlled the match from start to finish.
The result marked the first league victory for Cristian “Kily” González, who took over as Inter Miami’s coach on Sept. 16. It also snapped a five-game winless skid for the club that included four draws and a loss, with Inter Miami’s last league win before Saturday coming in a 7-1 rout of CF Montreal on Aug. 29.
What It Means
Messi’s two goals in his first game after the Argentina retirement show he moved directly from international duty into club play without missing a match for Inter Miami. The quick turnaround, four days between his Argentina farewell and a full 90 minutes in MLS, placed an immediate spotlight on how he would perform once his national team career closed for good.
Snapping a five-match winless stretch also matters for a team still adjusting to a new coach. González’s first league win came with his two most experienced attackers, Messi and Suárez, combining for all four goals and the primary creative work alongside Berterame’s two assists.
Context: The Argentina Farewell
Messi’s international career closed on Tuesday, Oct. 6, after 21 years with the Argentine national team. He scored from the penalty spot in the 71st minute of that match against Benin, closing out his run as Argentina’s record scorer with 126 goals and its record appearance-maker with 208 caps. Messi had announced his international retirement in August.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni spoke about the farewell, saying “only nostalgia remains,” according to ESPN. The send-off closed a two-decade international chapter just days before Messi returned to club duty for Inter Miami.
What’s Next
Inter Miami hosts New York City FC on Wednesday night, its next chance to build on the win over D.C. United. Messi’s workload in that match, after playing a full international fixture and a full 90 minutes in the D.C. United win within a week, will be worth watching as Inter Miami tries to turn one result into a longer run of form under González.
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