Lionel Messi's magic inspires Inter Miami to Leagues Cup final

Lionel Messi inspired Inter Miami CF to a monster 4-1 victory against Philadelphia Union at Subaru Park in a Leagues Cup semifinal fixture played in the early hours of Wednesday, August 16, 2023.

Messi is now one game away from winning his first-ever trophy as an Inter Miami player and are guaranteed a spot in the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup.

Josef Martnez's third-minute goal, after latching onto Sergii Kryvtsov's pass from behind, gave Miami the lead early on.

With a golazo in the 20th minute, Messi increased his lead in the Golden Boot race to nine goals in his first six Miami appearances.

Robert Taylor's through ball rewarded Jordi Alba for his lung-busting run before he slid his shot past Blake for a 3-0 advantage.

In the 73rd minute, veteran midfielder Alejandro Bedoya made his injury comeback by bringing Philadelphia back from a corner-kick skirmish.

After Miami native David Ruz scored the game's final goal to make it 4-1 in the 84th minute, the visitors became the first team this summer to score four goals in four of six Leagues Cup games.

Nashville SC defeated Monterrey by a score of 2-0 and now faces Messi's Inter Miami in Saturday's all-MLS final.