Inter Miami 2-1 Atlas FC: 9.9/10 Lionel Messi's 'insane' performance hands Miami a hard-fought win
Lionel Messi's 9.9/10 insane performance helped Inter Miami beat Atlas FC by 2-1 in their first match of Leagues Cup 2025. Messi provided two assists while Rios Novo made a few great saves.
Last Updated: 11.33 AM, Jul 31, 2025
Lionel Messi's last-minute assist for Marcelo Weigandt helped Inter Miami beat LIGA MX’s Atlas FC in their first match in Phase One of the Leagues Cup 2025. Midfielder Telasco Segovia scored the other goal, with Lionel Messi being the assist provider for both goals. Goalkeeper Roco Rios Novo was crucial for them with a few important saves throughout the game.
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Rodrigo de Paul made his Inter Miami debut
Argentine midfielder Rodrigo de Paul, who made a shocking transfer to Inter Miami CF from Atletico Madrid for a season-long loan, just to play alongside Lionel Messi, made his debut for the 'The Herons'.
In the meantime, Benjamin Cremaschi became the first academy graduate to play 100 games for the senior team.
Inter Miami 2-1 Atlas FC: What happened in the match?
Inter Miami started strongly with several chances, including an early deflected shot from Telasco Segovia and a near-goal opportunity from Tadeo Allende following a through ball from Messi in the 22nd minute. Rios Novo made a stunning diving save to deny Atlas forward Eduardo Aguirre in the 25th minute.
Luis Suarez also came close to scoring multiple times, rattling the crossbar just before halftime and forcing saves early in the second half.
The breakthrough came in the 57th minute when Sergio Busquets delivered a precise line-splitting pass to Messi, who played the ball to Telasco Segovia for his ninth goal of the season. Messi’s involvement raised his assist tally, bringing it to 11 in all competitions this season.
Benjamin Cremaschi made club history by becoming the first Academy product to reach 100 appearances after coming on for Allende in the 77th minute. Atlas equalised through Rivaldo Lozano in the 80th minute, but Inter Miami’s attacking pressure continued.
Suarez’s curling effort in the 83rd minute was denied by a solid save from the Atlas goalkeeper.
The winning moment arrived late in stoppage time when Marcelo Weigandt scored from close range following a sublime give-and-go involving Messi and Suarez. This marked Weigandt’s second goal of the season and Messi’s 12th assist across all competitions in 2025.
Lionel Messi, with a 9.9/10 Sofascore rating, was named the player of the match.