Lionel Messi stepped up at a crucial moment to help Inter Miami come back from behind against New York Red Bulls, providing a beautiful assist to Jordi Alba that recalled a specific moment from the 2022 FIFA World Cup: his assist to Nahuel Molina in the quarterfinal match against the Netherlands.
The Herons are trying to make up lost ground in Major League Soccer after their participation in the Club World Cup left them with several games in hand and trailing in the standings. Following Wednesday’s loss to FC Cincinnati, they fell further behind the Philadelphia Union, the Eastern Conference leaders.
Given that context, things didn’t start well for Inter Miami on Saturday. They quickly fell behind after a 14th-minute goal by Alexander Hack, who capitalized on a corner kick and a poor reaction from the goalkeeper and defenders.
But that early setback didn’t affect Lionel Messi’s mindset. He immediately took on the responsibility of leading the team, stepping into the role of playmaker. In the 24th minute, he picked up the ball in the attacking half and delivered a brilliant assist to Jordi Alba, who found himself one-on-one with goalkeeper Carlos Coronel and made no mistake.
That stunning pass instantly brought back memories of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Messi was instrumental in Argentina’s title run. In particular, it drew parallels to his assist to Nahuel Molina for the opener against the Netherlands, when he threaded the ball through a crowd of defenders.
Another brilliant pass from Messi
Alba’s goal seemed to spark Inter Miami, who completed the comeback almost immediately. Just three minutes after the equalizer, another pass from Messi found Alba in a perfect position inside the box. This time, however, the Spanish left-back chose to set up Telasco Segovia, who needed only a subtle touch to score.
With the 2–1 lead, Javier Mascherano’s team took full control of the match and faced little pressure from New York RB. In fact, during the remainder of the first half, they had several chances to extend the lead—something Segovia eventually did with a precise right-footed shot.
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Messi sets impressive record
With his performance on Saturday, Lionel Messi became the first player in Inter Miami history to reach 30 assists. It’s an impressive milestone considering the short time the Argentine star has been with the club—he arrived just two years ago and has played 67 matches since then.
However, some clarification is needed. This statistic follows Major League Soccer’s criteria, which count not only direct assists but also so-called “secondary assists.” These are passes made not to the goal scorer, but to the player who provides the assist—and they must meet certain conditions. “The pass must contribute significantly and directly to the goal, requiring a reasonable amount of skill, vision, and accuracy,” MLS rules state.
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