Overview

• Messi entered at halftime and restored Miami’s lead with an 84th-minute long-range strike to break the 1-1 deadlock.
• He capped his comeback by delivering a sublime no-look backheel assist for Luis Suárez in the 89th minute to seal a 3-1 victory.
• His goal against LA Galaxy marked Messi’s 40th MLS strike, making him the second-fastest player in league history to reach that milestone.
• Coach Javier Mascherano limited Messi to roughly 45 minutes off the bench and acknowledged that he was “not 100% comfortable” during the match.
• Fans and pundits flooded social media with praise for Messi’s backheel assist, hailing it as one of the most inventive plays of his career.