Messi Scores Again After the World Cup — and Is Now the All-Time Top Scorer in Leagues Cup History
With 14 goals in the Leagues Cup, Messi surpassed Denis Bouanga and became the tournament's all-time leading scorer after a brace against Atlético San Luis.
Messi wasted no time proving the World Cup took nothing out of him. In Inter Miami's opening group-stage match at the 2026 Leagues Cup, the No. 10 scored twice in a 4–2 win over Atlético San Luis — and etched his name into the competition's history books in the process.
With 14 Leagues Cup goals, Messi is now the tournament's all-time leading scorer. The competition has existed since 2019 and brings together clubs from MLS and Mexican football. He overtook Gabonese forward Denis Bouanga of Los Angeles FC, who had 13.
The match started badly for Miami. In the 4th minute, David Rodríguez put San Luis ahead. But Messi responded quickly: in the 11th minute, he finished a low cross from the left by Noah Allen to equalise. Venezuelan forward Telasco Segovia, formerly of Casa Pia, turned the game around in the 26th minute. Before the break, Messi still had time to complete his brace, in the 44th minute.
The Golmetria model gives Argentina a 6.92% chance of winning the World Cup — well below the 7.49% implied by the market. The 2022 champions have already secured qualification from Group J with 9 points and a 100% probability of advancing, according to the model's data.
Messi joined Inter Miami in 2023 and immediately helped the club win the Leagues Cup that same year. Now, with another record in his pocket, the question hanging in the air is: how far will he go before football has to learn to exist without him?