Lionel Messi wowed a packed crowd of over 65,000 soccer fans at Gillette Stadium, making an unforgettable mark in MLS history.
In Inter Miami’s thrilling 4-1 victory against the New England Revolution on Saturday, Messi became the first MLS player to contribute goals or assists in five consecutive matches. His 16 goal contributions are also the most by any MLS player in the first seven games of a season, surpassing Thierry Henry and Carlos Vela, who had 13 each.
The soccer legend scored two goals for his team and assisted former Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez’s goal in the 88th minute.
The record-breaking attendance at Gillette Stadium set a new high for a Revolution home game, surpassing the previous mark set in a 2002 MLS final against the LA Galaxy. Tickets to witness Messi’s brilliance were priced at $285 each, $10 more than the average ticket for a 2023 New England Patriots home game.
Messi’s dual record-breaking performance comes on the heels of him playing at another sold-out stadium at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, where Miami won, 3-2, against Sporting KC.
After Saturday’s win, Inter Miami sits first in the Eastern Conference with a 6-3-2 record. Messi, who bagged his eighth and ninth goals of the season, is chasing Gonzalo Higuain’s all-time scoring record for the club (29); he currently reigns as the top scorer in the MLS with nine goals in seven games.
People come to every stadium to see Leo, that’s true, but they also want their team to win,” Miami coach Gerardo Martino said Saturday. “We’re motivated by the atmosphere we always find where we play and this also incentivizes the opponents a lot.”
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