Why is Lionel Messi Continuously Regarded as One of Soccer’s All-Time Greats?

News Desk 

Islamabad: Messi made MLS history by becoming the first player to record five assists in a game and six goal contributions in a match during Inter Miami’s 6-2 victory over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night

 It was arguably Messi’s best performance since winning the World Cup with Argentina in Qatar in 2022, as he played a pivotal role in Inter Miami’s comeback, contributing a goal and five assists.

The scoring spree began in the 50th minute when Messi found the back of the net. Matias Rojas, a recent addition to Inter Miami, scored twice in the 48th and 62nd minutes, while Luis Suárez completed a hat trick with goals in the 68th, 75th, and 81st minutes, helping Inter Miami secure an impressive win.

Coach Tata Martino, who previously coached Messi with Barcelona and Argentina, praised Messi’s extraordinary performance, stating, “Well, I always say the same thing, it is redundant to talk about him because he always seems to do something new.

And well, if something was missing, it was this. To have an impact on the six goals a team scores, this is going to be difficult to see again.”

Rojas played a crucial role in Inter Miami’s comeback, scoring a goal assisted by Messi to level the match at 1-1. He then initiated a turnover that led to Messi’s goal, before Messi went on to provide five more assists, orchestrating six unanswered goals for Inter Miami in just 36 minutes of the second half.

With 10 goals and 12 assists in just eight regular-season games, Messi currently leads MLS statistics for the season. He also became the third player in MLS history to have multiple goal contributions in his first eight games of a season, joining Cobi Jones and Clint Dempsey.

Despite a strong performance from the New York Red Bulls, who initially took the lead through Dante Vanzeir’s goal in the 30th minute and Emil Forsberg’s late penalty in the 97th minute, Inter Miami’s dominance prevailed.

When asked about his favorite moment from the match, Martino highlighted Luis Suárez’s scissor kick goal in the 68th minute, emphasizing the technical brilliance of the goal along with Messi’s exceptional pass.