Guillermo Hoyos did not bother with a cautious description after Lionel Messi returned to Inter Miami's starting XI. He said the volley belonged in a painting, then went straight to Picasso. Messi scored twice and added an assist in Inter Miami's Leagues Cup win over Atletico de San Luis, and the first of those goals came from Noah Allen's cross, struck cleanly on the volley with his left foot.

Hoyos' Picasso line

Hoyos' full quote explained why the finish stood out. “He struck the ball out of the air. Those of us who have played football know what it takes to find the time and space to connect, meeting a cross coming from left to right and hitting it cleanly on the volley with his left foot. If we were talking about painting, it would be Picasso,” he told goal.com.

The second Messi goal pushed him to 14 strikes in Leagues Cup history, the highest total in the competition. That is a useful detail because the performance was not just stylish, it moved him clear at the top of a proper record list.

Miami looked sharper again

Inter Miami had Messi back after he sat out the previous two outings, and the attack looked cleaner for it. In 2026 all competitions, he now has 8 appearances, 8 goals and 4 assists, which is still a very strong return for a player just back from World Cup duty.

The rest of the night also gave Miami something to work with. Noah Allen recorded three assists in a single match for the first time in his career, while Luis Suárez was serving the first of a six-match Leagues Cup ban after the Seattle Sounders final incident. Miami do not need to be built entirely around Messi to function, but they are plainly more dangerous when he is there.

The match itself was also described in different coverage as a weather-paused game that later resumed, and some reports framed it as a 4-2 rout. However it is labelled, the key point is simple enough: Messi returned, produced a brace and an assist, and Miami's attacking level rose immediately. The next test is Monterrey, Chicago Fire or whatever fixture follows in the Leagues Cup run after this one.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →