FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi scored a goal and added an assist in the first half and second half to help Inter Miami secure home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs with a 4-0 win over Atlanta United on Saturday night.
Messi found the net in the 39th minute. He received a pass from Baltasar Rodriguez and scored, giving Inter Miami (18-7-8) a 1-0 lead at halftime.
Jordi Alba, who announced his retirement at the end of this season, scored his sixth goal seven minutes into the second half to make it 2-0. The 36-year-old defender has 11 goals and 27 assists in 64 games, all with Miami. The club honored Alba with a ceremony after the final home game of the regular season.
Messi recorded his 18th assist on Alba’s goal, tying him with San Diego FC’s Anders Dreyer for the top spot in the league.
Luis Suarez scored his 10th goal unassisted in the 61st minute to make it 3-0 and had 10 assists.
Messi scored in the 81st minute with Alba’s 13th assist.
It was Messi’s league-leading 26th goal of the season, and with one game left in the regular season, he leads 2023 Golden Boot winner Dennis Bouanga (Los Angeles FC) by two goals and Nashville SC’s Sam Surridge by three goals.
Messi’s 44 goal contributions are the second most in a single season in league history. LAFC’s Carlos Vela is the only player with 49 in 2019.
Rocco Rios Novo finished with three saves in his sixth start of the season for Inter Miami. It was the 23-year-old’s third clean sheet.
Jaden Hibbert, 21, saved six shots in his eighth career start for Atlanta United (5-16-12). Hibbert made three of his four saves in the first half (two on Messi’s shots) in 10 minutes, and was scoreless through the first 21 minutes.
In the battle for second place in the Eastern Conference, Inter Miami and FC Cincinnati both have 62 points.
Inter Miami concludes the regular season with a decision-day game at Nashville SC on Saturday, while Atlanta United concludes with a matchup against visiting DC United for last place in the East.
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AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer
