Lionel Messi scored two goals, leading Inter Miami to a dramatic 3-1 victory against LAFC (3-2 on aggregate) and securing their place in the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals. Despite conceding an early goal and trailing 2-0 on aggregate, Inter Miami managed to turn the game around.
Shortly after a controversial disallowed free kick, Argentine superstar Messi scored a fantastic goal against Hugo Lloris, the same goalkeeper he scored against twice in the 2022 World Cup final.
Noah Allen added another goal in the second half, and a late penalty, clinically converted by Messi, sealed the epic comeback victory for Inter Miami.
The Controversial Free Kick
In the first half, Messi took a free kick. As Lloris was setting up his defensive wall, the referee moved away from the area. Messi then curled the ball into the goal. Lloris was unprepared, and initially, the referee signaled a goal. However, after about a minute, the referee changed his decision, disallowed the goal, and made Messi retake the free kick, which subsequently hit the wall.
This was a debatable moment. It`s understandable why Messi might have thought he was allowed to take the free kick as the referee moved away and initially signaled a goal. Lloris, on the other hand, was still setting up his wall and expected a whistle before play resumed.
Messi`s Stunning Goal
Trailing 1-0 in the match and 2-0 on aggregate, Messi brought his team back into contention with an incredible goal in the 35th minute, placing the ball perfectly into the top right corner of the net.
Messi`s Decisive Penalty
Ultimately, Inter Miami scored the two additional goals needed in the second half to win. The decisive goal came from a penalty awarded for a handball in the box. Messi calmly converted the penalty into the right side of the goal.
Notably, Messi also scored two penalties against Lloris in the World Cup final – one during regular play and another in the penalty shootout.
Goalkeeper Oscar Ustari made crucial saves late in the game for Inter Miami to secure the win. Now, Inter Miami will compete against the winner of the Vancouver Whitecaps versus Pumas match in the semifinals, placing them within reach of the most significant game in North American club soccer.
