Despite having only appeared in a few matches for Inter Miami, Lionel Messi already holds the club record for most goals scored.
On Friday night, Miami faced Charlotte FC in the quarterfinal of the Leagues Cup. The side of Gerardo Martino won 4-0 to secure a spot in the competition’s semi-final.
Miami will now face Philadelphia Union, a foe from Major League Soccer, in the competition’s semifinal.
The match will be played on August 15 on a Tuesday, and the victor will face either Monterrey or Nashville SC in the championship game. Interest in the MLS and the team has grown after Messi was acquired by Miami. The legendary player from Argentina joined on a free transfer after his deal with Paris Saint-Germain expired. Messi’s games thus far have all taken place in the Leagues Cup. Later this month, he is anticipated to make his MLS debut, but the specific match depends on how the team is doing in the current league.
Messi scored against Charlotte for the eighth time since joining the team, and it came in just his fifth outing. Messi has shattered the all-time mark in the process.
Striker Bongokuhle Hlongwane of Minnesota United previously held the mark with seven goals. In just his fourth appearance in the tournament, the South Africa international scored against Toluca in the round of 16 for his seventh goal overall.
Despite just appearing in five games for the team, Messi is now ranked fourth among all-time goal-scorers for Miami. The teammate Martinez, who has participated in 29 games since joining Atlanta United, has the same total of eight as him.
Gonzalo Higuain, a striker who retired from professional football at the end of the previous season, tops the list with 29 goals in 70 games. Taylor is moving up the chart in third place with nine goals in 65 games, while Leonardo Campana is second on the list with 16 goals in 51 games.