After missing two straight matches with a right thigh injury, Messi converted a penalty in the 77th minute to pull Inter level at 1-1 then combined with Jordi Alba to put the hosts ahead in the 88th.

Telasco Segovia added a third in injury time as Miami returned to the final of the Leagues Cup, the cross-border competition featuring teams from Major League Soccer and Mexico's Liga-MX. Inter won it in 2023, Messi's first season in MLS.

"We are at a loss for words when it comes to discussing Leo (Messi)," said Javier Morales, the Inter assistant coach who was at the helm as Javier Mascherano watched from the stands serving a red card suspension.

"He trained only two or three days and then he played 90 minutes and the way he played, created situations, scoring goals."

Messi, who had played once since he was injured on August 2nd, admitted he felt some trepidation.

"I prepared to be in this match because I knew how important it was, against a very tough opponent who had beaten us in both games we faced this year," he said. "The truth is in the first half I felt a little scared, but in the second I loosened up a bit more."

Miami will travel to Seattle for Sunday's final after the Sounders beat reigning MLS Cup champions Los Angeles Galaxy 2-0 in California.

Goals from Pedro de la Vega in the seventh minute and Osaze Rosario in the 57th lifted the Sounders, who held on with 10 men after Nouhou Tolo was sent off in the 83rd minute for a sliding tackle on Gabriel Pec.

The finalists are both assured of berths in the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup, with the winner of the third-place playoff between Orlando and Los Angeles also punching their ticket to the regional tournament.

In a high-energy first half in Fort Lauderdale, Croatia's Marco Pasalic silenced the crowd at Inter's Chase Stadium with a goal in first-half added time.

Luis Muriel slipped a pass into the area and Maximiliano Falcon's attempt to clear it instead saw the ball deflect back to Pasalic, who rifled a left-footed shot into the net. Inter players appealed saying the ball hit Pasalic's arm but VAR confirmed the goal.

Orlando, who had twice humbled their cross-state rivals this season, continued to stymie Inter in the second half. Luis Suarez forced a save from Orlando keeper Pedro Gallese while Messi twice threatened in the area only to find himself swamped in a sea of defenders.

Momentum shift

Orlando lost some momentum in the 59th minute when Guatemalan referee Walter Lopez denied them a penalty after Sergio Busquets' foul on Ivan Angulo.

And the momentum shifted irrevocably Miami's way in the 74th minute when substitute Tadeo Allende drew a foul in the box. David Brekalo's challenge included a tug on Allende's jersey and earned him a second yellow card.

He departed as Messi went to the spot, the Argentine great firing past Gallese into the lower right corner of the net.

Eleven minutes later he sparked joyous celebrations with his second goal. Orlando coach Oscar Pareja was irked by the second-half officiating, notably the second yellow card for Brekalo which he insisted "wasn't a yellow."

But Morales said it was "clear that the defender grabbed Tadeo," who the coach said could have scored had he not been held.

T. Segovia

Achievements