• Lionel Messi leads InterMiami into the quarterfinals.
• Miami’s victory was their fourth consecutive win.
• Inter Miami became the first club to secure a spot in the quarterfinals.

On Sunday, Inter Miami defeated FC Dallas in a thrilling match to advance to the Leagues Cup quarterfinals thanks to an incredible brace by Lionel Messi.

With 10 minutes remaining, FC Dallas had a 4-2 lead, but two late goals forced a penalty shootout.

At Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, Miami triumphed in the shootout 5-3.

“Being 4-2 down in the 80th minute and then coming back, we are very happy with the result,” Miami manager Gerardo Martino said.

“But the fact that we have gone through shouldn’t let us lose sight of the things that we have to improve.”

Before Messi joined Miami, the team had not won any of their previous 11 matches. However, since his arrival, they have managed to win four consecutive games.

Messi, who previously played for Barcelona and Paris St-Germain, scored the opening goal in the match against Dallas within the first six minutes. He skillfully placed a curved shot just inside the near post from outside the penalty area. Despite this, Dallas took the lead with a 3-1 scoreline after around 60 minutes of play.

Miami’s midfielder, Benjamin Cremaschi, narrowed the gap by scoring a goal, but an own goal by Robert Taylor extended Dallas’ lead to two goals. Miami’s hopes were rekindled when Marco Farfan inadvertently scored an own goal from a Messi cross in the 80th minute. Then, Messi, the 36-year-old World Cup champion, delivered an impressive free-kick to equalize the game just five minutes later. This remarkable goal brought Messi’s total to seven goals in four matches.

In the penalty shootout that followed, Messi started the proceedings for Miami, and his former Barcelona teammate, Sergio Busquets, also successfully converted his penalty. Dallas suffered from a missed penalty by Paxton Pomykal, which proved costly for their team.

By advancing in the Leagues Cup, a tournament featuring teams from the United States and Mexico competing in a knockout format, Inter Miami became the first club to secure a spot in the quarter-finals of the competition. The Leagues Cup was introduced in 2019.

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