Messi scores twice on his Miami return; Garber already imagines a club role after retirement

Four days after waving goodbye to Argentina with a final goal against Benin (3-0) at the Estadio Monumental, Lionel Messi picked up where he left off. Inter Miami beat D.C. United 4-0 on Saturday night in MLS, with a brace from Luis Suárez (3rd, 39th) and a brace from Messi (47th, 60th). The win ended a run of five matches without victory.

At 39, the Argentinian still drives the league: 23 goals and 13 assists this season, top scorer by a four-goal margin, and Miami up to second place in the Eastern Conference after the win. ESPN also sees him in the running for a third MVP award.

The commissioner is already thinking about what comes next

In a video published by L’Équipe on 8 October, MLS commissioner Don Garber praised Messi’s impact on the league and imagined the Argentinian keeping a role at the Miami club when he retires from playing. The exact role was not spelled out. The message is clear enough: the MLS has its attraction and intends to keep him well beyond his playing days.

On the Miami bench, Cristian González asked supporters to make the most of every match: “He’ll be missed in that jersey, of course, but today we have him here, and we have to enjoy having him with us now,” he told ESPN.

The coach also revived a long-standing project: after comments from the CONMEBOL president, he confirmed that Miami have been exploring a Copa Libertadores entry “for a few years now”. That trophy remains one of the few missing from Messi’s collection.