Lionel Messi vs Atlanta United | Assist in Frustrating Draw! 😤 | 05/09/2026

A rare opportunity to make up ground presents itself with Messi fresh from four against Montreal once again stars as far as the eye can see 12 games to go it's into Miami Atlanta United next. Surprisingly receiving a warm embrace from Leo Messi somebody that Tata Martino said is extremely proud. Last week especially the goals came as well with it seven goals at home and this guy was at the center of it. Here he is again maneuvering forward stopped in his tracks immediately. Here's Batarame. With Falcone on the right this time they've switched it up to begin this match. So here's Frey into Messi lovely return pass from Messi. Ian Frey maneuvering inside. Baez unable to clear away and eventually is Junior Alonso into the far side only into the path of Messi the last play you want to find inside the area and scramble behind for the first corner of the evening so much to those in Argentina to those around the world this time he goes short with the corner the angle changed for Leo Messi up against Muyamba. Messi towards the cusp and no recipients this time Miranchuk the armed with an 18 million dollar center-forward in Brio Lombolo and at the other end now Messi and co looking to cause a problem. Messi unable to find a way through. Dean Sinclair was able to step in the way. Miami making one change with two away MLS victories this season at Toronto FC on both sides will simply be more than aware of how important victory will be for their season here today. Mansfield slipping up at New York City FC on headlines were made. Those Messi be better than than anyone his. Leo Messi awaiting. Suarez fresh from a goal against Montreal the other day in behind now for Leo Messi fabulously blocked by Diaz for now. De Paul blocked by Baez. Delayed transition from Miami. Here's De Paul. Messi in between on some paperwork in the meantime here's Frey winning the ball back to the home side. Rodrigo De Paul looking to find Messi he goes down and now a free kick to into Miami. It's a difficult choice because you have to step out into that space cannot allow. Eight goals, three assists in seven games since returning from the World Cup. Can he? Could he? With Lucas Ollos expecting to be tested no doubt. We've seen him do it from here before. It's Messi. It's time the wall does its job. Messi. Falcón. Casemiro. The story is with him he was offered a new deal at Manchester United. Messi. Here's De Paul. Here's De Paul. Leo Messi. Deflection forces Alonso across the cover. Messi cushioning into the path of Frey. Unsurprisingly such is the way the football works. Emanuel Atalant scored for Union Berlin just the other day in a 3-3 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt. We saw him score especially early for Atlanta United but the way Tata Martino wants to play is much more in the 4-3-3. They have some defending to do. One clean sheet in the last 20. It's headed towards goal and in. Casemiro. The makeshift centre half. A Miami goal scorer again. Two goals in two for the former Real Madrid man and just after half an hour into Miami open the scoring. Champions League winner five times with Real Madrid. Brazil International is known for the class the poise with the ball at his feet but the ability to levitate to get up on set pieces that really separates him. We saw this. As we said before Miguel Almiron the player for the big occasion as is Leo Messi as he's proven time after time. Messi into the path of Rodrigo De Paul Those fans waiting for another moment from him. Goal scorer four into Miami for those of you joining us late. Followed up by a fourth of the season for Miguel Almiron. Here's Leo Messi. It's Messi off the woodwork. Miami and Messi coming within an inch. This is exactly why I've been talking about the wall trying to gain every bit of ground they can because this does not miss by much. Goes perfectly off where the crossbar and the post meet. Past Hoyos not able to get a touch to it. That's how precise Messi can be. Can he score his 99th goal for into Miami here this evening? Of course fresh from announcing his international football retirement. And here cross world football paying their respects to him and been all over the picked up a yellow card for his efforts, but it's been really lively from him in this first half. Go here. There goes the halftime whistle. It's two things. One. I think he was trying to get too involved, checking back too deep in the wrong positions. And when we've seen them high advanced in that's me checked back too deep to try to get involved, but you can understand even defensively doing the work, but especially from the standpoint of Atlanta United, they aren't just chasing the playoffs, but time. There's not a lot of time here. And so even against the likes of Inter Miami, they have to take their opportunities. It's a lovely ball forward from Messi as far as getting a spot of fortune. Messi options ahead. I see forwards and Messi and wide. So clever from Messi coming into the interior space and just shifts the weight of his body. It's a clever little nutmeg pass and house back just bounces up a little bit coming to Miami. Other third here, Messi on the ball momentarily. Let's not forget into Miami with a real opening here as the goalkeeper comes a long way. We always have to be alert. The flag did come up on the far side, though, since mid August for the 18 year old Ecuador international. Here he is again, short of the hour mark here at New Stadium. Game hangs in the balance. The game there for the taking into Miami, desperate to make up ground on Nashville and can elevate, but the strength is really difficult to move him. So Messi over the ball and it comes again, cleared up into the path of Almiron, who's unable to make the necessary clearance out of the playoff conversation. Just four points from ninth place coming into this weekend and ABs awaiting the service. Messi's ball in and catching practice for Lucas Hoyos in goal. Messi looking to create something here for Miami. Depaul in support, has his pocket picked by a retreating Baez. Change that moving forward. Casemiro continues to operate flawlessly. Messi now into the path of Suarez, who returns the pass. Here's Segovia, the Venezuelan international. As Miami pile the bodies forward, miscue from Segovia. You can feel the energy now going. Just make it difficult to push off this strike on target. Here's Leo Messi. Can he have another moment of magic? Diaz, Muyomba unable to gather the pass. Here's Leo Messi. Diaz stopping Messi in his tracks. Now into the fray. Here's Bertarame, into Leo Messi. As Miami look to find a third goal. Messi, twisting and turning. Trying to slip it through for Bertarame, unsuccessful this time. And after missing the last penalty, Miguel Almiron will step aside for a really good World Cup and a good season with Stade Rennais in Ligue 1. The ball now at the feet of Messi. Can he take over? Is there further length? Do we have late drama? Here's Leo Messi, away from Almiron and Co. Eight minutes of added time. Tata Martino, knowing the importance of victory here today. Messi down under the challenge. The referee eventually blowing in favor of him. Here's Messi, over to the far right-hand side. Ball comes across the face of goal, too much underneath it. Behind for a goal kick. You have to be careful because sometimes when Messi receives that contact, it almost wakes him up and brings out some of that competitive rage. Messi, Shaw, a late winning goal here for Inter Miami. Scored his first in the League's Cup play. Hate to see that from Silvetti going off in pain. So Messi over the ball. In it comes from him, nudged away for now by Atlanta. Rodrigo de Paul brings it forward. On the edge of the penalty area to Paul, and in towards Leo Messi! Fabulous save, Messi again! Vital challenge by a flurry of retreating Atlanta United players. They threw their body in front of the ball in heroic fashion. My goodness, you see the way they come into the space and it drops to Messi, and he just preps it. And how about that save from Hoyos with the left foot? Messi picks it up again and goes, takes a slight deflection out for a corner, but this first save is just ridiculous. Through the crowd and that, oh my goodness. Hoyos, the Argentine, the bit of magic. The left foot of Messi is the famous one, but how about that for timing? This point in the match, big-time save from Hoyos. Not a long zone more than playing his part as well. It does mean they may be taking a look at this one because as Rodrigo de Paul had played that ball in. In a game where a victory is crucial, with 12 games left in the MLS regular season. Messi's ball in, punched up and away, and behind for another corner. Myriad of maybes awaiting the service. In it comes from Messi, away by Hoyos again, oh! Into the path of Shaw. Messi serves this one in and it drops right on to Hoyos and he just punches it off. Atlanta United escape with a point. What a frenetic end to this match. A sharing of the spoils and unsurprisingly a disagreement or two between a handful of opposing players. Tata Martino comes to his old club and steers Atlanta United in the right direction. What a contest, what a game, but ultimately a point apiece. A point apiece which neither will want to claim. Atlanta United will I'm sure be more than happy with claiming a point after the way the game ended. They simply need to start finding victories, as do Inter Miami, who after seeing Nashville slip in New York City on Friday, couldn't take advantage and it finishes somehow, someway at New Stadium. Inter Miami 2, Atlanta United 2. My word, what a game. Atlanta United.