Lionel Messi scored a pair of vintage goals to lead Inter Miami CF in a stunning comeback win over FC Dallas in the Leagues Cup on Sunday in Frisco, Texas.
The World Cup winner scored Miami’s first goal and its last in a chaotic match at Toyota Stadium that ended 4-4 in regulation before netting his spot kick in the shootout to help send his team through to the quarterfinals.
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Jordi Alba set up the first with a cutback pass from the touchline that Messi buried with a first-time shot before scoring a stellar free kick from distance to help Miami overcome a two-goal deficit and send the game to penalty kicks.
In between his the Messi goals, Dallas had the upper hand for long stretches and took a lead into half-time with strikes from Facundo Quignón and Bernard Kamungo.
Each side had an own goal in the second half as Dallas briefly stretched its lead to 4-2, but Messi’s free kick in the 85th minute tied it at four and Miami went on to win the contest from the spot.
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Messi has scored in all four matches since joining Miami, with six seven goals total. He had consecutive multigoal games coming into the Leagues Cup round of 16 match in Frisco, about 30 miles north of Dallas.
Messi’s second multigoal game came in the first Leagues Cup elimination game, which was delayed by an hour and a half because of a torrential rainstorm in Florida.
Miami will host the winner of Monday night’s match between Charlotte FC and Houston Dynamo at DRV PNK Stadium in the quarterfinals on Aug. 12.