Inter Miami hosted Cruz Azul in the 2026 Campeones Cup on Wednesday, September 16, at Nu Stadium. Following an impressive skyward leap in the box, Lionel Messi nodded home the opening goal to give the Herons an early lead.
Building out from the back, Inter Miami intercepted a Cruz Azul long ball to kickstart a quick transition sequence. Operating wide from his central position, Rodrigo De Paul slipped a through ball to Luis Suarez, who lifted his head and picked out Lionel Messi inside the 18-yard box.
Elevating over defender Willer Ditta, the 5-foot-7 playmaker snapped a firm header into the back of the net to open the scoring in the 24th minute. The finish also marked Messi’s 100th goal in Inter Miami colors, making him the first player in franchise history to reach the century milestone.
Cruz Azul, the backdrop for Messi’s 1st and 100th Inter Miami goals
Since his landmark arrival in 2023, Lionel Messi has maintained a prolific scoring rate for Inter Miami, reaching 100 goals with the Herons in just 115 appearances to average nearly a goal per match. By a remarkable twist of fate, Cruz Azul served as the opponent for both the beginning and the culmination of that historic century run.
Messi made his Inter Miami debut on July 21, 2023, entering as a second-half substitute for Benjamin Cremaschi in the 55th minute. With the match tied 1-1 in stoppage time, he stepped up to a 94th-minute free kick and curled home a dramatic game-winner to open his scoring account in South Florida.
That moment launched a record-breaking stretch for Messi in American soccer, shattering scoring marks across every competition he entered, including Major League Soccer. Over the following three years, Inter Miami and Cruz Azul did not cross paths in either the Leagues Cup or the Concacaf Champions Cup until meeting in the Campeones Cup, where Messi netted his 100th club goal to bring his tally full circle against the Mexican side.
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