Lionel Messi extends MLS record-breaking streak, scoring two goals against Nashville SC
Lionel Messi scored two goals in Inter Miami's 2-1 victory over Nashville SC on Saturday, extending his record-breaking streak of scoring multiple goals in a Major League Soccer game to five.
Victory marked Miami's fifth consecutive win too and snapped Nashville's 15-match unbeaten streak in the league.
Messi opened the scoring in the 17th minute, threading a free kick from just outside the box through a hole in Nashville's defensive wall and into the corner of the net, past the outstretched fingertips of goalkeeper Joe Willis.
That gave Miami a 1-0 lead until Nashville equalized just after halftime when Hany Mukhtar headed in Andy Nájar's perfectly-weighted cross.
A little over 10 minutes later, Messi put Miami back in front, capitalizing on a mistake from Willis who simply passed the ball to the Argentinian as he tried to clear it. Although Willis tried to atone for his lapse in concentration, Messi simply dribbled the ball around him and fired in an easy winner.
Not since 2012 when he played for Barcelona has Messi scored more than one goal in five consecutive league games, according to ESPN – though, admittedly, LaLiga is a very different league to the MLS.
'There aren't very many words. It's incredible what he continues to do,' Miami head coach Javier Mascherano told reporters afterward, per MLS. 'To break great records now every three days… I've said it a thousand times today; he is the flag for our team.
'He is the one. He's the leader. He shows us the way to compete.'
Messi has scored 16 goals so far this season – with 10 of those, as well as five assists – coming in his last five games. Miami, meanwhile, is fifth in the Eastern Conference but with three games in hand on all the teams above them. A win in all three games – while no small feat – would put the team top of the league.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
31 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Vancouver Whitecaps head to Houston looking to regain their winning form
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Whitecaps are looking to put their Major League Soccer season back on the rails. After enjoying one of the best starts in team history the Whitecaps have lost two MLS matches in a row and four of their last five. The Whitecaps (11-5-5) hope to get back on track Wednesday when they face the Houston Dynamo (7-10-5) in Texas. The 'Caps will then play their fourth game in 11 days when they battle San Diego FC Saturday at Snapdragon Stadium. The game in San Diego will be Vancouver's third consecutive road game after dropping a 3-0 decision to the Colorado Rapids on Saturday night. 'We know that we haven't really been as strong as when we started the season,' forward Daniel Rios said after training this week. 'It's part of every team. We don't panic. 'The way we approach these two (games) is try to get the most possible points. We'll do our best.' Back on May 24 the Whitecaps used a 3-2 road victory over Real Salt Lake to extend their unbeaten streak to 14 games across all competitions and nine matches in MLS play. At the time, Vancouver led the league with a 9-1-4 record for 31 points. Vancouver is 3-4-3 in the 10 MLS games since. The Whitecaps sit third in the Western Conference with 38 points, four back of conference leading San Diego, and have slid to eighth overall in the league standings. In their last four losses the Whitecaps have been outscored 13-4 and have given up three or more goals three times, including a 5-3 defeat by San Diego at BC Place Stadium on June 25. 'Colorado wasn't our best,' defender Tate Johnson said. 'We've got time to fix it. 'We know things have got to be better. We're looking forward to putting together two good games next week.' On a positive note, Vancouver used a goal in the 90th minute July 9 to beat Canadian Premier League side Valour FC 2-1 to win their Telus Canadian Champions quarterfinal. The Dynamo are 2-4 in their last six games and sit 10th in the Western Conference with 26 points. 'We know they're a great team,' said Johnson. 'We know they have a lot of threats, they're very well organized. 'We're going to have to make sure we're able to step up and put together a good performance.' Head coach Jesper Sorensen said his team doesn't need an overhaul, just some tinkering. 'We have to perform at a better level than we've done,' said Sorensen. 'It not just regarding structure and discipline. We have to be tougher and get into the game and start them better.' A question facing the Whitecaps is the status of Ecuadorean midfielder Pedro Vite. The team and Vite had agreed on a contract extension through the 2029 season. But Axel Schuster, Vancouver's chief executive officer and sporting director, said the deal included an agreement the team would take into consideration any offers for Vite from other clubs. It has been reported Mexican side Pumas UNAM have approached the Whitecaps about Vite, who is second on the team with four goals and leads with six assists. 'We have received an offer that we are at least considering,' said Schuster. 'We're focusing on the job that is ahead of us. We have a few days where we will go over this. 'It's a little bit unfortunate but it's also what the business is.' Pumas was one of the teams the Whitecaps beat on their journey to the CONCACAF Champions Cup final, which they lost to Cruz Azul 5-0. — VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (11-5-5) at HOUSTON DYNAMO (7-10-5) Shell Energy Stadium, Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. ET MAKE IT A DATE: The game will be the Whitecaps' fifth midweek visit to Houston since 2021. COMFORT ZONE: The Whitecaps are 3-0-2 in their last five games in Texas. LAST GAME: The Whitecaps and Dynamo battled to a 1-1 draw in a Sept. 18, 2024, match in Houston. KEEPING IT CLEAN: Goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka, an MLS all-star, leads the league with nine clean sheets. BACK IN THE LINEUP: Forward Jayden Nelson is back after serving a suspension for receiving a second yellow card in stoppage time for kicking the ball into the stands in frustration during Vancouver's 3-0 loss to the L.A. Galaxy on July 4. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 15, 2025.
CBC
34 minutes ago
- CBC
MLB, union could let players in 2028 Olympics during extended all-star break
Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred and players' union head Tony Clark say plans are moving ahead exploring the possibility of using major leaguers in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, a tournament that could be played on an extended all-star break. "I think it is an opportunity to market the game on a really global stage," Manfred told the Baseball Writers' Association of America on Tuesday. "Obviously the clubs are going to have to endorse this. I mean, this it's a big deal." MLB met with Los Angeles organizers Monday in Atlanta ahead of the 8 p.m. ET all-star game and Manfred said the Olympic officials were meeting with the Major League Baseball Players Association. "There's a lot of work that still needs to be done," Clark told the BBWAA in a separate session. "We do know players are interested in playing, whether it's for the Team USA or any number of other teams around the world. … There's just a lot of conversation that needs to be had sooner rather than later to see how viable this is, but we're hopeful that we can figure our way through it for the benefit of the game." The World Baseball Softball Confederation said Monday the baseball tournament will be played from July 15-20 at Dodger Stadium. MLB is considering whether it can interrupt its 2028 season to allow major leaguers to participate, which could necessitate changes to the sport's national television contracts. "They put out a schedule. They tell you it's not going to move. We'll see whether there's any movement on that," Manfred said. "It is possible to take it, to play the all-star game in its normal spot, have a single break that would be longer, obviously, but still play 162 games without bleeding into the middle of November. That is possible, OK? It would require significant accommodations, but it's possible." MLB did not allow players on 40-man rosters to participate in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, when Nippon Professional Baseball interrupted its season and Japan beat the U.S. 2-0 in the gold-medal game. "In the event that major league players are going to play, what does that mean and what does that look like?" Clark said. "And perhaps just as importantly, what does it mean for those players who aren't participating?
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
FIFA says applications for first World Cup ticket draw will open Sept. 10
Argentina's Lionel Messi hoists the FIFA World Cup trophy during a celebration ceremony for local fans after an international friendly soccer match against Panama at the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, March 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) TORONTO — Soccer fans looking to take in the 2026 World Cup will be able to apply for FIFA's first ticket draw starting Sept. 10, soccer's world governing body announced Tuesday in a release. FIFA did not say when the draw would take place for the tournament in Canada, the United States and Mexico, but said tickets would be released in phases. FIFA said ticket releases will continue up to the tournament final on July 19, 2026, in East Rutherford, N.J., but did not detail how many chances to buy will occur or what the phases will entail. The organization did encourage fans to register interest on its website ( A FIFA ID will be required to participate in the draws. World Cup tickets are already available for Canadians willing to pay a premium through deluxe packages, provided by On Location, FIFA's official tournament hospitality partner. They start at $2,500 for a single-game package. Additionally, Canada Soccer is expected to unveil its revamped Canada Red program at the end of July, with membership tiers — ranging from free to $5,000 a year — offering access to a ticket lottery for Canadian matches. The more expensive the membership, the better the odds of getting a ticket. The 2026 World Cup kicks off June 11 in Mexico City. The expanded 48-team competition features 13 games each in Canada and Mexico and the remaining 78 in the U.S. The 28th-ranked Canadian men will open June 12 at Toronto's BMO Field before shifting to Vancouver for their remaining group games June 18 and 24 at B.C. Place Stadium. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 15, 2025. The Canadian Press
