Lionel Messi Reclaims Throne, Surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo in Inter Miami’s Dominant 5–0 Derby Win

Was it the same Inter Miami squad from this year’s preseason and opening MLS games that played against Orlando City? There was no trace of sloppiness in the team’s attack. Miami rained goals on their domestic rivals, outclassing Orlando 5-0, with both Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez finding the net, not even once but twice. While Suarez rippled the back of the net in the early minutes, Leo Messi’s stellar brace came in the beginning of the 2nd half. Adding joy to the landmark Herons’ win, Messi overtook his generational rival Cristiano Ronaldo with his two goals.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 714th non-penalty goal in Al Nassr’s 2-1 rout against Al Fateh in the Saudi league. Thereafter, he scored yet another non-penalty goal against Al Feiha in the AFC Champions League. With that, Ronaldo had more non-penalty goals than Messi. But the Florida derby witnessed La Pulga reclaiming his crown. The 2022 World Champion now has 716 non-penalty goals against CR7’s 715.

In the 57th minute, Lionel Messi started an attack, dribbling his way from Inter Miami’s half to Orlando’s defense. He sent the ball in by himself, marking his first home goal of this MLS season. In the 62nd minute, Messi converted a low-flying cross from Suarez with a stunning header and overtook the Al Nassr captain. Meanwhile, Suarez also showed absolute dominance in the Herons’ attack. He was involved in four of Inter Miami’s five goals on the night.

Suarez scored two and set up Lionel Messi and Robert Taylor for their finishes. Notably, Suarez registered his first MLS goal in this match, ending his prior misfiring woes. Well, there is more to the Argentine’s showdown against Orlando. He claimed yet another feat besides overtaking Ronaldo.

Lionel Messi reaches 500!

Lionel Messi’s 62nd-minute strike marked the 500th league goal of his career. Well, he’s possibly managed to pull it off in fewer matches than Ronaldo, i.e. in 587 matches. Before joining the MLS, Messi had spent his storied career in Spain’s La Liga and France’s Ligue 1. During his Barcelona days, Messi scored 474 league goals. In PSG, he added 22 league goals to his tally. Meanwhile, CR7 registered this feat last year when he kick-started his Al Nassr stint.

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Inter Miami next plays Nashville on Thursday in a CONCACAF Champions Cup knockout tie. Thereafter, the club faces Montreal in an MLS game. The win against Orlando has cemented the Herons’ position at the top of the Eastern Conference table, 3 points clear of the 2nd seed, Columbus Crew. Since La Pulga and Co. found a rhythm in their attack, they could hopefully continue the top-seeded run in the coming days.

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