Saturday’s double moved Messi to 25 goals for the campaign, giving him a six-goal cushion in the MLS Golden Boot race. He is also tied with LAFC’s Son Heung-min for the most assists in the division (15), making him the first player in league history to hit that mark in three consecutive seasons.
The brace elevated Messi’s extraordinary career tally to 936 goals, and his manager is fully confident the forward will break the four-figure barrier. “Yes, I believe he’ll reach 1,000 goals,” Gonzalez noted. “I have faith in that. I know he will, because he loves a challenge, he sets challenges for himself and since he’s already achieved everything else, this will be no exception.”
The victory was Inter Miami’s third in a row, further cementing their second-place spot in the Eastern Conference behind Nashville. In contrast, Tata Martino’s Atlanta United remain stranded in 14th place, severely denting their playoff aspirations.