Lionel Messi is not a header man. On Wednesday he rose above the Cruz Azul defence to meet a Luis Suárez cross and glanced the ball past goalkeeper Kevin Mier for the opener in the 2026 Campeones Cup.

It was his 100th goal for Inter Miami.

The strike came in his 115th appearance across all competitions, and it made him the first player in franchise history to reach the century mark.

Same opponent as goal number one

The symmetry with his first Miami goal was almost too neat. Messi’s opener for the club was also against Cruz Azul, a stoppage-time free kick that won a 2-1 Leagues Cup tie on his debut on 21 July 2023.

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Casemiro doubled the lead on Wednesday. The Brazilian midfielder headed a Messi corner past Mier in the 81st minute, and the 2-0 win handed Inter Miami its first Campeones Cup, the annual fixture between the MLS Cup holder and the Liga MX champion.

Messi was awarded the game’s Most Valuable Player after the final whistle.

Argentina farewell on 6 October

Miami return to Major League Soccer on Sunday 20 September, hosting San Diego FC at Nu Stadium. The club sat second in the Eastern Conference on 44 points after Matchday 26, with eight matches to play before the play-offs.

Three weeks later comes the last international appearance of Messi’s career. Argentina’s FA president Claudio Tapia has confirmed the 39-year-old will play his farewell on 6 October against Benin at Buenos Aires’ Estadio Monumental, his 208th and final cap for the world champions.

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“We made the decision to invite the best player in the world, the symbol of our national team, our captain, Lionel Andres Messi, so that he can have the farewell he truly deserves on October 6 here in Argentina,” Tapia said.

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