Messi Reaches 100-Third Goal with Header as Inter Miami Beats Cruz Azul 2-0 in 2026 Campeones Cup
Cruz Azul, the backdrop for Messi’s 1st and 100th Inter Miami goals
At the Nu Stadium on Wednesday, September 16, Inter Miami hosted Cruz Azul in the 2026 Campeones Cup. After an dazzling aerial challenge in the box, Lionel Messi composed himself and headed home the opening goal, giving the Herons an early advantage.
The team progressed down the flank after intercepting a long ball from Cruz Azul, initiating a rapid transition. Central forward Rodrigo De Paul cut inside from the edge of the penalty area and delivered a through ball to Luis Suárez, who surged upward to target Lionel Messi away from the goalkeeper.
Erecting his head above defender Willer Ditta, the compact playmaker unleashed a solid header over the full-backs to find the net in the 24th minute, sealing the lead. That strike became the first of Messi’s one hundred Inter Miami contributions, marking the club’s inaugural player to reach the century mark.
Messi contributed further when a corner was cleared in the 81st minute; he dispatched a crisp cross into the six-box where Casemiro met it with another spectacular header. His double proved decisive, guaranteeing the Herons a 2‑0 comeback and the Coupe de Campeones title.
Cruz Azul, the backdrop for Messi’s 1st and 100th Inter Miami goals
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Lionel Messi leads Inter Miami to the 2026 Campeones Cup title in a 2-0 win over Cruz Azul
Messi made his Inter Miami debut on July 21, 2023, entering as a second-half substitute for Benjamin Cremaschi in the 55th minute. With the match tied 1-1 in stoppage time, he stepped up to a 94th-minute free kick and curled home a dramatic game‑winner to open his scoring account in South Florida.
That moment launched a record‑breaking stretch for Messi in American soccer, shattering scoring marks across every competition he entered, including Major League Soccer. Over the following three years, Inter Miami and Cruz Azul did not cross paths in either the Leagues Cup or the Concacaf Champions Cup until meeting in the Campeones Cup, where Messi netted his 100th club goal to bring his tally full circle against the Mexican side.
