Inter Miami moved closer to securing a playoff berth thanks to another decisive performance from Lionel Messi, who found the net twice against New York City at Citi Field and also delivered an assist.

With the match sitting at 1-0 in favor of Inter Miami and just 16 minutes remaining, Sergio Busquets delivered a vintage Barcelona-style assist that set up Messi for a spectacular finish, doubling the lead to 2-0.

It wasnā€™t Messiā€™s only highlight of the night in New York. In the 86th minute, the Argentine picked up the ball on the right side, cut inside past a defender, and fired a powerful right-footed strike to seal Inter Miamiā€™s 4-0 victory.

With Messiā€™s standout performance, Inter Miami secured a crucial victory that clinched their spot in the MLS playoffs. The Argentine also became the leagueā€™s sole scoring leader with 24 goals. In doing so, the Inter Miami captain is on track to become the first player in MLS history to win back-to-back MVP awards.

Whatā€™s next for Messi and Inter Miami?

Inter Miami are in the middle of a grueling stretch of seven matches, having already played fourā€”winning three and losing one. Up next is a trip to Canada to face Toronto FC, followed by two home fixtures at Chase Stadium against the Chicago Fire and New England Revolution.

With their primary goal of clinching a playoff berth already secured, head coach Javier Mascherano now has the flexibility to rotate his squad and rest key starters in preparation for the decisive postseason battles ahead.