Lionel Messi made an immediate impression in his debut for Inter Miami, scoring two goals in 14 minutes to lead his new team to a 3-0 halftime lead over Atlanta United in the League Cup.

Robert Taylor’s looping shot into the right corner in the 43rd minute was one of the game’s highlights.

Otherwise, it was all Messi, with the 36-year-old even assisting Taylor’s amazing goal and scoring two of his own in an electrifying first-half performance.

Inter Miami enjoyed a three-goal advantage at halftime for the first time in their history.

Messi’s first goal came in the eighth minute, thanks to a brilliant assist from Sergio Busquets, who tapped it in after his initial shot hit the post.

Messi doubled his tally in quick succession, finding space in the middle of the field and finding Taylor on the left side, who then delivered the ball back into the center for his partner.

Messi neatly deposited it in the net for his second goal, offering even another highlight after scoring the game-winning goal earlier in the week.

Messi had an explosive impression as a 54th-minute substitution in Barcelona’s 2-1 triumph over Mexican club Cruz Azul on Friday, curling in a stoppage-time free-kick to seal the win.

Miami’s Argentine head coach Martino chose to limit Messi and Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets’ minutes on Saturday, but with both players making such an impression, Martino claimed Monday he was inclined to start them against his former club on Wednesday.

“Well, it’s highly possible that both Leo and Busi will see increased playing time. I even believe that if they play more, we will change the dynamic and they will go perhaps from the start. But we all know that when Leo comes in, we’re talking about 90 minutes,” stated the former Barcelona and Argentina coach.

“But everything will depend on how they feel, as this is only their second game,” he remarked.

A win at DRV PNK Stadium on Wednesday would advance Inter to the knockout stage of the new event for Major League Soccer and Mexican Liga MX clubs.

MLS has halted regular season play until August 20, meaning Messi and company will be without a game for nearly a month if they fail to advance.

Martino stated that his players are still figuring out how to get the most out of their two new star teammates, who will shortly be joined by Spanish former Barcelona full-back Jordi Alba.

“We had already started working on changing the way we play, but it is clear that with Busquets, Jordi, and Leo, we will have to (further) modify the way we play and also work on raising the level in general,” Martino explained.

The buzz surrounding Messi’s move to the United States has only grown since Saturday’s premiere, but goalkeeper Drake Callender says the players have been working hard to make the team dynamic as normal as possible for the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, who has impressed them with his down-to-earth demeanor.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect because I’d never met a player of his caliber before, but he’s a pretty humble guy.” “He’s laid-back,” he said.

“He’s still trying to figure out how everything works over here.” So I believe for myself and some of the other players, we’re just making him feel welcome, as if he’s one of our teammates, and as if he’s at home here.

“I try to talk to him whenever possible to make him feel like he’s part of the team.” Again, simply treat him like one of my teammates. I believe he is someone who, wherever he goes, is surrounded by cameras and lights. People want him to sign items and speak with them. So I simply try to be as natural as possible,” Callender continued.

While Messi drew the most attention, former Barcelona midfielder Busquets appeared at ease with his new team, renewing his old understanding with the Argentine.

Kamal Miller, a Canadian central defender, stated that having one of the best passers of the ball in front of him necessitates a different technique to distribute from the back.

“With a player of that caliber, we always want to look to go through him.” He can thread the needle and find the deadly pass at any time, so it’s something we’re always on the lookout for. And having a player with that quality draws so much attention that it makes room for everyone else, so I think we’ll all benefit from it,” he said.