Lionel Messi delivered a standout performance on Tuesday night, scoring once and assisting another goal to lead Inter Miami to a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Sounders in a heated MLS rematch of their controversial Leagues Cup final.

The 38-year-old Argentine legend, who previously starred for Barcelona and captained Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022, set up Jordi Alba’s opening goal in the 12th minute before netting his own in the 41st, giving Miami a comfortable 2-0 lead at halftime.

Ian Fray extended the lead to 3-0 in the 52nd minute, while Seattle’s Obed Vargas managed to pull one back in the 69th. But the comeback effort fell short.

The match marked the first meeting between the sides since the volatile August 31 Leagues Cup final, where Seattle routed Miami 3-0 and tensions boiled over into a benches-clearing brawl. That match ended with Miami striker Luis Suarez spitting on a Sounders staff member — an incident that earned him a ban from the 2026 Leagues Cup and a three-match suspension in MLS play. Suarez, who apologized earlier this month, served the second game of his suspension on Tuesday.

The win was a crucial one for Inter Miami, who had fallen to eighth place in the Eastern Conference after a 3-0 loss at Charlotte on Saturday. The victory lifts them to fifth place with a 14-6-7 record and 49 points — now only eight points behind conference leaders Philadelphia, with three games in hand.

Seattle, now 12-8-9 with 45 points, dropped to fourth in the Western Conference, just one point ahead of Los Angeles FC.