Four more days of post-World Cup vacation detox were enough for him to dress up as a genius again. Lionel Messi shook off his drowsiness, took on the crown of boss and led Inter Miami's triumphant debut in the 2026 Leagues Cup, signing a lethal 4-2 victory over an Atlético de San Luis team that was daring on the land of Florida.

Las Herons, led by their moral leader, once again made the home team count in a tournament that continues to suit the MLS franchises wonderfully. However, the script began with a major scare for those in pink.

Just at minute 4, when the public had not even settled into their seats, David Rodríguez surprised the local defense and ordered the ball to be saved to give the Las Tunas team an advantage. Dead silence at Chase Stadium; The dark horse of Liga MX wanted to do mischief. The awakening of the beast

But hitting the pink hornet's nest is expensive, and even more so if Messi is on the field. The Potosí goal only served to make the Argentine star angry. At 11', Noah Allen roofed the defense with a center measured at mid-height; Leo measured the ball's travel and, without letting it fall, he hit a left-footed volley that left goalkeeper Andrés Sánchez static. Great goal, madness in the stands and the waters returned to their level.

With the emotional moment on their side, Inter Miami smelled blood and devoured their prey. At minute 25, Telasco Segovia turned the tables by making it 2-1, which began to unravel the Aztecs' strategy. San Luis began to chase ghosts in the midfield.

Messi's party didn't stop. At 43', the man from Rosario put together a magnificent one-two with Yannick Bright, received the return courtesy of Allen in the heart of the area and, faced with the desperate departure of Sánchez, fired mercilessly.

It was 3-1 of the night and the dozen goals for the Argentine in just 14 games played in the history of this competition. A true statistical madness. Electrical storm and final bolt

The last nail in the Potosí coffin came in the agony of the first half. In stoppage time (45 7'), Micael dos Santos got up in the six-yard box to hit a solid header that made it 4-1. A very heavy burden for Mexicans before going to rest.

For the complement, pride forced San Luis to propose. Spaniard Rafael Llorente closed the gap to make it 4-2, returning a bit of dignity to the visitors.

The game, faithful to the script of the American summer, had everything: the thunderstorm protocol forced the actions to be temporarily suspended, sending the players to the showers ahead of time.

After the restart under the cloudy Florida sky, the scoreboard no longer moved. Inter Miami meets expectations, scores with authority and shows that in this tournament, if the '10' wants, those from the MLS rule.

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