Lionel Messi Opens 2026 Account with Stunning Strike as Inter Miami Draws Barcelona SC

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – The first flash of Lionel Messi’s familiar brilliance in 2026 arrived on cue Sunday night, as the Argentine maestro curled home a solo effort and set up German Berterame to help Inter Miami claw out a 2-2 preseason friendly draw against Ecuadorian side Barcelona SC.

Messi’s 34th-minute masterpiece began inside the center circle, where he collected possession, ghosted past a lunging defender and accelerated toward the top of the box before dispatching a low, left-footed finish beyond goalkeeper Jose Contreras. The strike, his first of the new campaign, electrified the crowd and underlined why the Herons remain the team to beat after December’s historic first MLS Cup triumph.

The 38-year-old was not done. Ten minutes after the restart he slipped a precise pass between two center-backs for offseason acquisition Berterame, who slotted confidently to level the score at 2-2 and offer an early glimpse of a partnership Miami hopes will flourish across multiple competitions this year.

Fresh off a second straight MLS MVP award, Messi finished 2025 with 29 goals and 19 assists—48 total goal contributions, the second-highest single-season tally in league history—and became only the second player ever to lead MLS in both goals and assists in the same campaign, matching Sebastian Giovinco’s 2015 feat.

With Miami set to christen the 25,000-seat Miami Freedom Park in April, expectations are soaring. The club will juggle MLS, Leagues Cup and Concacaf Champions Cup fixtures, beginning the regular season Feb. 21 away to Los Angeles FC and South Korean star Heung-min Son.

If Sunday’s friendly is any indication, Messi’s legs—and imagination—remain more than capable of tormenting backlines from Florida to California and, this summer, across North America at the 2026 World Cup.