A moment of "genius" and an assist more beautiful than a masterpiece.
In the early hours of May 18th, Inter Miami faced Portland Timbers in Round 14 of the 2026 MLS season under immense pressure. Prior to this, the club's new 27,000-seat stadium had witnessed a disappointing run of matches, including three consecutive draws and a shocking 3-4 defeat against Orlando City despite leading 3-0.
The burning desire to secure their first historic victory on their new home court spurred Inter Miami to launch an all-out attack right from the opening whistle.
In the 4th minute, Luis Suarez delivered a sharp through pass for Lionel Messi to break free and shoot from close range, but goalkeeper James Pantemis made a spectacular save for Portland Timbers.
After an initial period of pressing, the home team's pressure finally materialized with a beautiful combination play. It was M10 who created the attacking situation with a pass to Luis Suarez, who immediately threaded a pass through to Telasco Segovia, who raced down the wing.
With his back to the goal, Segovia executed a skillful and delicate backheel pass, sending the ball perfectly into the path of the Argentinian superstar.
Messi positioned himself intelligently, received the ball inside the penalty area, and unleashed a powerful left-footed shot into the bottom corner of the net, opening the scoring 1-0 for Inter Miami in the 30th minute. This was also the 910th goal of the Argentine captain's illustrious career.
But it didn't stop there; in the 41st minute, Messi once again brought the entire stadium to their feet with a classic moment that brought everyone to their feet and into a standing ovation.
Originating from a pass on the right wing by Rodrigo De Paul, Messi controlled the ball smoothly with his chest and then executed a clever one-touch pass with Suarez.
Shortly afterwards, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner made a dazzling run into the center, "dancing" through a cordon of four opposing defenders before delivering a clever pass with the outside of his left foot for German Berterame to finish decisively, making the score 2-0.
This assist immediately went viral on social media and was hailed by the world press as "crazy," even "more beautiful than a masterpiece," because it reminded them of his peak years in a Barcelona shirt.
The king's composure at age 39
In the second half, Inter Miami deliberately slowed down the pace of the game but still completely controlled the match thanks to Messi's sharp vision and ability to control the tempo. Portland Timbers tried to push forward to find an equalizer but were completely helpless against the home team's tight defense.
Despite slowing down the pace of the game, El Pulga continued to try his luck and almost scored a brace with a left-footed curling shot from outside the penalty area that narrowly missed the post.
Right up until injury time, the 39-year-old superstar maintained his incredible energy, unleashing powerful long-range shots, especially a dangerous free kick that forced goalkeeper James Pantemis to make a strenuous full-stretch save.
The 2-0 victory ended Inter Miami's winless streak at their new home arena and propelled them to the top of the 2026 MLS Eastern Conference standings with 28 points after 14 games, temporarily one point ahead of their closest rival, Nashville SC.
Statistics show that the Argentine striker's recent form has been absolutely devastating. In his last 10 matches for Inter Miami, Messi has scored 9 goals, with 7 of those games receiving a rating above 8.5.
Notably, in his last five appearances for the club, Messi has contributed five goals and five assists. Except for the draw against New England where he didn't score, Leo has gone through a streak of four consecutive matches where he both scored and assisted, and all were rated above 9.
Ready to write history at the 2026 World Cup.
Messi's outstanding form is incredibly good news for the coaching staff and fans of the Argentine national team, with the 2026 World Cup in North America less than a month away.
Recently, coach Lionel Scaloni included Messi in Argentina's preliminary 55-player squad. However, Messi is a special exception for the reigning world champions.
The Italian strategist stated that the national team and the entire country of Argentina have always cherished and respected Messi, and therefore allowed him to independently decide whether or not to participate in the tournament based on his physical condition.
Coach Scaloni affirmed that if Messi agrees, he will immediately have a place in the official 26-player squad; conversely, if he feels he is not ready, the Argentine national team will not call him up.
Four years after their historic victory in Qatar in 2022, the core of the Argentine national team has remained largely unchanged. The most regrettable absence is that of key player Angel Di Maria, who has officially retired from international football.
Nevertheless, Messi is still surrounded by a quality, young, and combative "bodyguard" such as Enzo Fernandes, Alexis Mac Allister, and his teammate who recently shone alongside him at Inter Miami, Rodrigo De Paul.
At the 2026 World Cup, the Argentine national team is in Group J along with Austria, Jordan, and Algeria. According to the published schedule, the defending champions will play their opening match against Algeria on June 17th, followed by a match against Austria on June 23rd, and finally against Jordan on June 28th.
With his exceptional physical condition at the age of 39, Lionel Messi is on the verge of a historic opportunity, alongside his arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo, to become the first players in the history of world football to participate in six World Cups.