Argentina’s star player, Lionel Messi, who plays for Inter Miami and a former world soccer best player, shone brightly in the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Championship.
According to Al Jazeera, Messi led an exciting comeback, scoring three goals against Los Angeles FC (LAFC) for the first time ever.
The 37-year-old Argentinian superstar scored two goals, including the game-winning penalty kick in the 84th minute, helping Inter Miami defeat LAFC 3-1 on Wednesday night and secure a 3-2 aggregate victory in the two-leg series.
“We gave it our all,” said Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano. “We wanted this, we aimed to reach the semi-finals, and I believe it showed. … Sometimes you need a bit of luck, and we had it.”
Inter Miami had lost the first match to LAFC 1-0 last week, so when Aaron Long scored an away goal in the ninth minute on Wednesday, it shocked Inter Miami and gave LAFC a 2-0 lead in the aggregate score early in the second match.
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This meant Inter Miami needed to score at least three goals to move on, which seemed pretty unlikely.
But with Messi, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, anything can happen.
Messi kicked off the comeback in the 35th minute by getting free near the edge of the 18-yard box and scoring to tie the game at 1-1.
After an hour of play, Allen received a pass from Messi just outside the Los Angeles penalty area and lifted the ball toward the goal. It slipped past everyone and found the back of the net.
Inter Miami kept the pressure on and successfully argued for a handball call just six minutes before the end, which Messi converted into a 3-1 lead, securing their spot in the semifinals. This marked his 42nd goal in 48 games across all competitions since joining Inter Miami.
“This is how we do it,” Mascherano stated. “This is how to play football. … They put in their all. I’m really happy.”
