Lionel Messi Set Another Record for Inter Miami Against Columbus Crew | OneFootball

Lionel Messi keeps setting records for Inter Miami CF and continued his stellar form on Saturday night against Columbus Crew SC, with two goals and an assist in the first 24 minutes.

After setting up Tadeo Allende for Miami’s opening goal in the 13th minute, Messi curled in a 15th-minute goal after Crew goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen mishandled a kick and put it straight to the Argentine’s foot.

10 minutes later, he chipped Hagen on a breakaway, to bring his season total to 10 goals and four assists in 13 games and extend Miami’s early lead to 3–0.

With his early brace, he became Inter Miami’s all-time leading MLS goalscorer with his 30th and 31st strikes, eclipsing the previous regular-season record set by fellow Argentine and European legend  Gonzalo Higuaín, which was 29.

Higuaín, however, played 67 regular-season games for the Herons, while Messi broke his record in just his 38th appearance.

It marks the latest achievement for Messi in writing his name across the record books of Inter Miami and MLS, while extending his goalscoring total in 59 matches in all competitions to 49.

At the same time, it also extended an incredible week of performances by the 38-year-old. After not scoring for two games, Messi has scored five goals and two assists in the last three contests, and hit 50 regular-season goal contributions in Wednesday’s 4–2 win over CF Montréal, where he also scored twice.

Saturday’s clash with Columbus, usually one of the best teams in MLS, was Miami’s last ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup. They are set to open the new 32-team club tournament against Egypt’s Al-Ahly on June 14 at Hard Rock Stadium, before wrapping up group stage play against Portugal’s FC Porto and Brazil’s Palmeiras.

Messi and Miami return to MLS action against Atlanta United on June 28.