Messi 100 – Lionel Messi reached 100 goal contributions fastest in MLS history, posting a goal and two assists as Inter Miami beat Toronto 4-2.
Lionel Messi delivered a goal and two assists to move to 100 goal contributions faster than anyone in MLS history, and Inter Miami turned that milestone into a 4-2 road win over Toronto FC.
The performance put Messi at 59 goals and 41 assists in 64 regular-season matches, surpassing the previous benchmark of 95 goal contributions set by Toronto’s Sebastian Giovinco. Across 101 career appearances in all competitions, Messi has tallied 87 goals and 57 assists.
Rodrigo De Paul played a central role as well, recording a goal and two assists to help Inter Miami bounce back from a 4-3 home loss to Orlando City in a match the team had led 3-0. The victory also extended Inter Miami’s road winning streak to six.
Inter Miami’s scoring began when De Paul converted a free kick in the 44th minute to give the team a 1-0 advantage. After the ball ricocheted off the wall of players, De Paul corralled it and fired a second attempt that struck the left post before going in.
Messi typically takes Inter Miami’s direct free kicks, but in this instance he stepped back and De Paul took the set piece. The report noted that De Paul’s strike was his third career goal, and all three have come this year, with De Paul finding the score in his 21st appearance across two seasons.
Both Messi and De Paul also each added their third assists of the campaign when they set up Luis Suárez. Suárez scored to make it 2-0 in the 56th minute, and the goal marked his 32nd in 63 career matches. The momentum kept building for Inter Miami as it took control of the game in the middle stages.
Defender Sergio Reguilón, making his third appearance, entered as a substitute in the 68th minute and then scored his first goal in the 73rd. Messi assisted on the goal as Inter Miami pushed ahead with a three-goal lead.
De Paul then assisted Messi again. setting up Messi’s ninth goal of the season in the 75th minute to put Inter Miami ahead 4-0.. The report said the strike brought Messi within one of the league lead. and it also marked De Paul’s third assist since he had ended last season with four assists in 11 appearances.
Toronto avoided a shutout thanks to Emilio Aristizábal, a 20-year-old rookie who scored in the 82nd and 90th minutes. Those goals brought his tally to three in his first 11 matches, and the late surge reflected Toronto’s ability to capitalize even as the match swung heavily toward Miami.
For the first of Aristizábal’s goals, Dániel Sallói recorded his fourth assist of the campaign. Kobe Franklin added his second assist this season, and fellow defender Walker Zimmerman earned his first assist as Aristizábal completed his brace.
In goal, Dayne St. Clair made three saves for Inter Miami, while Luka Gavran stopped two shots for Toronto. The match also featured several interruptions when fans jumped onto the field in attempts to get closer to Messi.
Inter Miami will next visit FC Cincinnati on Wednesday, and Toronto is scheduled to travel to face Charlotte FC on Saturday.
Lionel Messi Inter Miami Toronto FC MLS records Rodrigo De Paul Luis Suárez