Messi dazzles with goal and two assists as Inter Miami down Toronto in MLS

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/inter-miami/0AheRyBg/"]Miami[/a], beaten 4-3 at home by Orlando in last week’s Florida derby, bounced back from that disappointment with an emphatic win on the road in Canada.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/messi-lionel/vgOOdZbd/"]Messi[/a], who in just over a month’s time is expected to lead Argentina’s defence of their World Cup crown, delivered [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/inter-miami-0AheRyBg/toronto-fc-zsdfgnmL/?mid=xzD74zK8"]a typically dazzling performance[/a] in a victory that moves Inter back to within a point of Eastern Conference leaders [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nashville-sc/84yIDQMe/"]Nashville[/a].[/b][/p][p]Messi’s Argentina teammate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-paul-rodrigo/AZ6TTjDC/"]Rodrigo De Paul[/a] fired Miami into the lead just before half-time, volleying in from the edge of the area on the rebound after his free kick struck the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/toronto-fc/zsdfgnmL/"]Toronto[/a] wall and fell invitingly into his path.[/p][p]Miami doubled their lead on 56 minutes, with Messi picking out former Barcelona teammate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/suarez-luis/fV4fAvB8/"]Luis Suarez[/a] with a first-time pass for the Uruguayan to calmly finish for 2-0.[/p][image alt="Player ratings from Toronto vs Miami" id="ad58c156-98a9-4bdb-b6c2-ba72e95bac04" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="dd537f0c-b7de-4cd3-a032-ff997fdebffb" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]Messi was the creator again for Miami’s third goal on 73 minutes, teeing up substitute [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/reguilon-sergio/l0lnJteM/"]Sergio Reguilon[/a] for his first career MLS goal.[/p][p]Fittingly, Messi then added his name to the scoresheet two minutes later, releasing De Paul down the right to leave the Toronto defence scrambling into position.[/p][p]De Paul’s low cross found Messi in the penalty area, and the 38-year-old duly steered a side-footed finish into the bottom corner past Toronto goalkeeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/luka-gavran/p48dwOiT/"]Luka Gavran[/a].[/p][embed guid="87cb172e-7bd9-490c-bd29-2118f295d816" url="https://x.com/InterMiamiCF/status/2053201822005838111" social-type="twitter" /][p]Toronto flirted with an improbable comeback when Colombian substitute [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/aristizabal-emilio/rckvKGld/"]Emilio Aristizabal[/a] grabbed a brace with goals in the 82nd and 90th minutes, but Inter rode out 11 minutes of stoppage time to claim their sixth win of the season.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/soccer/usa/mls/"]Follow MLS with Flashscore all season![/a][/b][/p]