Lionel Messi’s ‘greatness’ sparks Miami’s comeback into Champions Cup semis

Inter Miami CF head coach Javier Mascherano hailed Lionel Messi for his impact in the team’s 3-1 comeback win Wednesday against LAFC in the second leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal series, as the captain scored the defining goal.

Though LAFC entered the game with a 1-0 lead and managed to find the back of the net first in the ninth minute, goals from Messi and defender Noah Allen clinched the team’s ticket to the next round.

“Messi is the soul of this team. Sometimes I feel uncomfortable talking about him because I’ve known him for 20 years now, and I have to help him in this stage of his career,” Mascherano said after the game.

“He’s a guy who has everything in football. He’s the greatest in history, and he’s still making the path and guiding the new generations beyond having won everything until the last day he plays on the pitch.

“He wants to win and will do the impossible. Football is just about wanting, but you have to be able. And he has that ability because he is the greatest of all.”

Messi guided the team to victory on and off the field, with teammate Luis Suárez revealing that the team captain advised players to remain calm to find possibilities in front of the goal.

“Leo told us during the game, and Jordi told us that even if the other team scored, we needed to remain calm,” Suarez said.

“The possibilities would be the same, we needed to score three goals to win. With the experience, hierarchy and players that we have, we did it.”

In the end, it was Messi who scored the penalty in the 84th minute of the match to make history for host Inter Miami by securing a spot in the semifinals of the international tournament. The team previously fell to CF Monterrey in 2024 during the quarterfinal stage.

LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo admitted he emphasized the importance of defending Messi to his players, but the number 10 found a way to thrive in the final third.

“Look, you’re talking about one of the greatest to ever play this sport. And from my liking, the second half, you had a little too much freedom,” Cherundolo said.

“We couldn’t get enough pressure on him. I thought in the first leg we did an excellent job. In the second, I think it was a little too much freedom. We couldn’t get enough pressure on the ball, and you know he’s going to punish you as well as his teammates. I think that’s part of what makes him so good. He makes his teammates better.”

Inter Miami will prepare to face Pumas UNAM in the semifinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup.