Messi scores 100th Inter Miami goal as club wins Campeones Cup

Argentine football star Lionel Messi won another trophy with Inter Miami while also scoring his 100th goal for the club.

In a 2-0 victory over Cruz Azul, Messi opened the scoring and paved the way for victory in the Campeones Cup, a kind of super cup contested between the champions of Major League Soccer (MLS) and Mexico’s Liga MX, CE Report quotes STA.

Lionel Messi put Inter Miami ahead in the 24th minute, heading home a cross from Luis Suárez to score his 100th goal for the club in his 115th appearance. Neither the timing nor the opponent could have been planned, but Messi scored his 100th goal against the same team he faced when he scored his first goal for Inter Miami in July 2023.

Club co-owner David Beckham praised Messi after the victory and highlighted him as a candidate for the Ballon d’Or. The Argentine has already won the award eight times.

“When you see him doing the things he did tonight, and when you look at the World Cup he played, it’s no coincidence that he’s among the candidates for the Ballon d’Or again,” Beckham said, adding: “In my opinion, he should win.”

Beckham’s comments were also supported by Messi’s contribution to Inter Miami’s second goal. His corner kick was headed into the net by Casemiro in the 81st minute to complete the 2-0 scoreline. For the Brazilian midfielder, it was his fourth goal in his last five matches, with all four coming via headers.

The Campeones Cup is Messi’s fourth trophy with Inter Miami. In 2023, the team won the Leagues Cup; in 2024, it claimed the Supporters’ Shield; and last year it won MLS Cup after defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps in the final. That victory earned Inter Miami a place in the Campeones Cup.

Photo Instagram/leomessi