Messi’s legacy after the World Cup Final
In what may be Messi’s last World Cup Final, Jon Arnold and Seth Vertelney break down what will happen to his legacy after the match, win or lose.
Sports Seriously
Lionel Messi is back.
The Argentina superstar scored two goals in the first half of Inter Miami’s 4-2 Leagues Cup win against Atlético de San Luis on Wednesday, Aug. 5. He now has the most Leagues Cup goals all-time.
The first came in the 11th minute after the Liga MX side already scored at Nu Stadium in Miami. Noah Allen kicked a pass from the left side of the pitch. Messi received it in front of the net and struck the ball straight forward for the equalizer. To celebrate, the 39-year-old took the ball under his arm and high-fived his teammates while grinning widely.
Telasco Segovia put Inter Miami up 2-1 with a goal of his own.
Then, in the 44th minute via a play similar to Messi’s first goal, Allen sent a pass from the left of the pitch to the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner near the middle of the net. This time, Messi dribbled forward a few steps before shooting the ball in for his second goal of the night. The score was his 14th in Leagues Cup matches, giving him the record.
And that’s not all! Messi contributed to Inter Miami’s final goal of the first half when he sent a corner kick into play. Micael dos Santos Silva nailed the header to put the side up 4-1.
Messi’s Leagues Cup record comes on the heels of his 2026 World Cup performance in which Argentina finished second, just short of defending its 2022 title. Argentina lost to Spain in the final after beating England, Switzerland, Egypt and Cape Verde in nail-biters during the knockout rounds. Messi became the all-time World Cup scorer after finishing with 21 goals overall and eight this summer. He was passed by Kylian Mbappé, who scored 10 times to reach a career total of 22 World Cup goals and win his second straight Golden Boot.
Messi’s first game for Inter Miami after the World Cup was in MLS play on Saturday, Aug. 1. He was a substitute in the 2-2 draw with the Columbus Crew.
Inter Miami’s next Leagues Cup match is against Liga MX’s Monterrey on Saturday, Aug. 8 at Nu Stadium in Miami.
Later Wednesday night, Denis Bouanga tied Messi for most goals in Leagues Cup play in Los Angeles FC’s win against Chivas Guadalajara (LAFC won 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 finish).
MLS 2026 season key upcoming dates
- Aug. 4-Sept. 6: Leagues Cup
- Sept. 16: Campeones Cup: Inter Miami vs. Cruz Azul (2026 LIGA MX Clausura champion), Nu Stadium, Miami
- Oct. 21: Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final
- Nov. 7: Final day of regular season (MLS Decision Day)
- Nov. 18-Dec. 12: MLS playoffs
- Dec. 18: 2026 MLS Cup
European soccer leagues’ 2026 key upcoming dates
- Aug. 15: La Liga season openers (Real Madrid’s first match is Aug. 22; FC Barcelona’s first match is Aug. 23)
- Aug. 16: FA Community Shield: Arsenal vs. Manchester City
- Aug. 20: Ligue 1 season opener: Olympique Marseille vs. Strasbourg (Paris Saint-Germain’s first match is Aug. 22)
- Aug. 21: Premier League season opener: Arsenal vs Coventry City
- Aug. 22: Serie A season opener: Inter Milan vs. Monza
- Aug. 28: German Bundesliga season opener: Bayern Munich vs. Stuttgart
- Sept. 8-10: UEFA Champions League: Matchday 1 of league phase
- Sept. 16-17: UEFA Europa League: Matchday 1 of league phase
- Oct. 15: UEFA Conference League: Matchday 1 of league phase