When it looked like he was about to suffer his first setback in the US, Lionel Messi stepped up to help Inter Miami reach the 2023 Leagues Cup quarterfinals. Following a dramatic 4-4 draw in regular time, the Herons beat Dallas FC 5-3 in the penalty shootout.
The Argentine superstar put his side in front only five minutes into the game, but the hosts eventually hit back. Facundo Quignon and Bernard Kamungo turned things around before halftime, with Alan Velasco extending Dallas’ lead in the second half. Benjamin Cremaschi put Inter Miami back in the game, though an own goal by Robert Taylor put Messi’s team in a tough spot.
However, Gerardo Martino’s men never gave up and it paid off. An own goal by Marco Farfan put them just one goal away from tying the match, and Messi made sure to keep his team’s hopes alive with a fantastic free-kick goal. On penalties, Leo’s side got the upper hand. Of course, social media went wild.
Best memes and reactions to Messi’s Inter Miami beating Dallas in an eight-goal thriller
With this victory, Inter Miami will take on the winner of Charlotte FC – Houston Dynamo in the 2023 Leagues Cup quarterfinals. Needless to say, the Herons will always have reasons to believe as long as Messi is on the field.
