Lionel Messi scores and assists in Inter Miami’s 3–1 win over LA Galaxy as Javier Mascherano calls the victory “vital” and insists every game is a final.
Messi’s Magic Lifts Inter Miami as Mascherano Insists “Every Game Is a Final” originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Inter Miami got exactly what it needed Saturday night, three points and the return of Lionel Messi. The Argentine superstar came off the bench to completely change the game, scoring once and setting up another in a 3–1 win over LA Galaxy.
It looked like Miami might control things early. Just before halftime, Jordi Alba burst forward from his left-back spot and finished off a slick move started by Sergio Busquets to make it 1–0. But the Galaxy weren’t going away. Joseph Paintsil struck in the 59th minute, tying the game and putting real pressure on the home side.
That’s when Messi made the difference. Coming back from a two-week injury layoff, he only had 45 minutes planned, but that was more than enough. In the 84th minute, he danced past defenders and snuck in a shot from the top of the box to put Miami ahead again. Five minutes later, he showed his genius with a cheeky back-heel assist that set up Luis Suárez to slam the door with Miami’s third goal.
What a goal by Messi!
— johnny cortes (@johnnycortes) August 17, 2025
Messi now has the most goals scored from outside the box (101). Record previously held by Messi himself.
875 career goal
765 non Penalty goal
59 Inter Miami goal
🐐🔥 pic.twitter.com/a6hJfgtfz2
Head coach Javier Mascherano said, in Spanish and translated to English, that easing Messi back was always the plan. “The idea was to give him 45 minutes so he could start finding sensations,” he explained. “Clearly he wasn’t 100% comfortable, but as the minutes went on he loosened up more. The important thing is he finished the game, and now we’ll see how he feels tomorrow.”
Mascherano also touched on other lineup choices. Rodrigo De Paul was limited after missing the week with visa issues, while Fafá Picault impressed before being subbed out. “The match was becoming end-to-end, and that doesn’t suit us. We needed more control,” Mascherano said.
But the biggest message was about mentality. “This victory was vital. Every game from now until the end of the season is a final. If we want to achieve important things, we can’t hand matches to our opponents.”
With Messi back, Miami looked every bit like a contender again, and Mascherano made it clear the pressure only ramps up from here.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: General Sports
