Lionel Messi set up both goals as Inter Miami, the reigning Major League Soccer champions, were held to a 2-2 draw by Atlanta United on Saturday in the Argentine star’s first match since announcing his retirement from international football.
The match kicked off 90 minutes late because of thunderstorms and lightning, but there was plenty of action once play got underway, with Messi—Argentina’s all-time leading scorer and most-capped player—at the centre of Miami’s attack.
Inter Miami took the lead in the 32nd minute when Brazilian midfielder Casemiro rose highest to head home Messi’s corner.
Atlanta responded just three minutes later, with former Newcastle United forward Miguel Almirón firing a low shot into the net to level the score.
Messi then helped Miami regain the lead just before half-time. The move began down the left, with the Argentine involved in the build-up before former Liverpool and Barcelona forward Luis Suárez finished calmly to make it 2-1.
But Atlanta earned a point in the 87th minute when Swiss striker Breel Embolo converted a penalty.
Elsewhere, Derrick Etienne scored two minutes into stoppage time to earn Toronto a dramatic 4-4 draw against Chicago in an eight-goal thriller.
Josh Sargent scored a hat-trick for Toronto, while Chicago struck twice through Maren Haile-Selassie before an own goal and a 63rd-minute strike from Robert Lewandowski put the visitors 4-3 ahead.
Philadelphia Union defeated Montreal 2-0, with 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan scoring in the 75th minute.
The goal took Sullivan’s tally to four goals and seven assists this season, giving him 11 goal contributions—the most by a 16-year-old in a single MLS season. He surpassed Freddy Adu’s previous record of 10, set in 2005.
In Orlando, Antoine Griezmann scored in the 28th minute to give Orlando City a 1-0 home victory over San Diego.
Guilherme Biro rescued a point for Austin FC, scoring in the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time to secure a 1-1 draw with San Jose.
