Lionel Messi Dramatic Brace Saved Inter Miami From Defeat Against FC Dallas

A stunning Lionel Messi brace gave Inter Miami a dramatic victory over FC Dallas to reach the quarter-finals of the League Cup on Sunday.

FC Dallas led 4-2 with 10 minutes left, but two late goals sent the game to penalties. Miami won the shootout 5-3 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.

“Going 4-2 in the 80th minute and then coming back, we are very happy with the result,” Miami coach Gerardo Martino said. “But the fact that we succeeded should not make us lose sight of the things we need to improve.”

Miami was 11 games without a win before Messi’s arrival but has now won four in a row.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain striker opened the scoring in the sixth minute, after curling a shot into the near corner from outside the penalty area, but Dallas advanced 3-1 after more than an hour of play.

Quarterback Benjamin Kremashchi tied the game for Miami, but Robert Taylor’s own goal helped Dallas score two goals.

Miami found hope in the 80th minute when Marco Farfan headed in Messi after a pass, before the 36-year-old World Cup champion curled in a stunning free kick to equalize five minutes later, taking the grand total to seven in four appearances.

Messi put Miami on the right track in the shootout as former Barcelona team mate Sergio Busquets kept his cool from 12 yards out as Paxton Baumical’s miss proved costly for Dallas.

Inter Miami was the first team to reach the quarter-finals of the English League Cup, which began in 2019, and consists of two teams from the United States and Mexico playing against each other in a knockout format.