Scoring braces in consecutive matches is nothing new for Lionel Messi. Back in November to December 2012, he scored two goals in six straight La Liga matches for Barcelona.
Now, Lionel Messi has become unstoppable for his Major League Soccer (MLS) club. Before the Club World Cup, he netted two goals each against Montreal and Columbus Crew. Even after the Club World Cup, he maintained his form — scoring braces against Montreal again in the return leg, then New England Revolution, and most recently, today against Nashville.
With the match against New England on Thursday, Messi set a new MLS record by scoring at least two goals in four consecutive matches. Today, against Nashville, the 38-year-old broke his own record by scoring braces in five straight games.
Over the last five league matches, Messi has scored 10 goals and provided 4 assists — and Inter Miami has won all five of those matches.
After today’s 2–1 win over Nashville, the Inter Miami coach said:
“Messi is doing his job incredibly well. He’s breaking records every three days. He is the flag-bearer of this team, our leader, and he sets the standard for how competitive we are. Being part of this phase of his career is truly a blessing for me.”
Inter Miami will next face FC Cincinnati in the MLS early Wednesday morning (Bangladesh time). If Messi scores another brace in that match, he will match his nearly 13-year-old feat from Barcelona.
However, Inter Miami’s coach is also mindful of managing Messi’s workload. He said:
“We’re monitoring his physical condition like a machine — and will arrange rest when appropriate.”
So far in the current MLS season, Messi has scored 16 goals in 16 matches, placing him at the top of the goal-scoring chart. Nashville’s Sam Surridge is also tied at the top with 16 goals.
