Messi leads MLS with 22 goals after back-to-back Inter Miami wins

Lionel Messi produced a pair of match-winning performances this week as Inter Miami picked up consecutive victories, first beating the Seattle Sounders 3-1 and then edging D.C. United 3-2, moves that left the Argentine atop Major League Soccer scoring charts and piling up personal and team milestones. Messi combined a goal and an assist in the midweek win over Seattle and followed with an assist and a second-half brace in Saturday's victory in Fort Lauderdale to push his season tally past 20 and then to 22 goals.

In Seattle, Messi set the tone early with an outside-of-the-foot pass that found Jordi Alba for a 12th-minute opener, then converted Alba's return feed in the 41st minute to make it 2-0. Ian Fray nodded home a Rodrigo De Paul corner early in the second half to extend the lead before Obed Vargas pulled one back for the Sounders in the 69th minute. Inter Miami was again without Luis Suárez, who served the second game of a three-match ban imposed after an incident in the Leagues Cup final. New signing Mateo Silvetti, arriving from Newell's Old Boys, made his Inter Miami debut in that match.

Against D.C. United, Messi assisted Tadeo Allende's first-half opener and then...