Five goals in three games, including two straight braces? Those are GOAT stats, which means they are also Lionel Messi’s.

 

The greatest to ever do it demonstrated once again that scoring can be as simple as breathing when you have other-worldly talent.

He scored twice for Inter Miami CF in Wednesday night’s Leagues Cup Round-of-32 match against Orlando City SC.

 

Messi wasted no time in opening the scoring in the seventh minute, chesting down a superb cross from Robert Taylor and blasting a drive past ‘keeper Pedro Gallese. After Orlando tied the game on César Arajo’s 17th-minute strike, Miami retook the lead on Josef Martnez’s penalty-kick goal in the 51st minute.

In the 72nd minute, the Venezuelan set up Messi, lifting a ball inside the area for the 2022 FIFA World Cup champion to beat Gallese a second time with a close-range volley.

Lionel Messi has already left his imprint on Inter Miami after three games.

 

With the win, Miami will advance to the next round to take on FC Dallas, who beat Mazatlan FC 2-1 in their Round of 32 match earlier on Wednesday night. Alan Velasco and Eugene Anash each scored for Dallas in the win. Orlando City reached the knockout stage after beating the Houston Dynamo on penalty kicks and then beating Santos Laguna.