Lionel Messi's brilliance takes Inter Miami to Leagues Cup final with unbeaten streak

Lionel Messi displayed his remarkable prowess by netting his ninth goal in six matches, maintaining Miami's unbeaten streak since his arrival and propelling the MLS team into the Leagues Cup final. Despite being touted as Inter Miami's most challenging trial during the Lionel Messi era, the South Florida squad quickly took the upper hand thanks to Josef Martínez, who exploited a gap in the Philadelphia defence and found the back of the net within five minutes.

Inter Miami's fortunes escalated even further as Messi recorded his ninth goal in six games with the club. This goal, his longest-range strike since 2012, came from outside the box and was a blazing shot that left the diving goalkeeper helpless.

While Philadelphia made attempts to stage a comeback, Messi's squad decisively sealed their victory just before the first-half whistle. Jordi Alba was sent through on goal and expertly slotted in their third of the night, hushing Subaru Park.

Philadelphia legend Alejandro Bedoya, however, refused to let his team exit without a fight. He emerged from the bench to score, narrowing Miami's lead with 20 minutes left on the clock.

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Any hopes of a Philadelphia resurgence were crushed in the final moments by second-half substitute David Ruiz. His goal rounded off an authoritative performance by Miami and secured Tata Martino's team a spot in the Leagues Cup final.

Now, Miami will anxiously anticipate the outcome between Nashville and Monterrey to determine their final opponent.

• Football
• Inter Miami
• Leagues Cup
• Lionel Messi