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Lionel Messi scored twice and had a hand in two others as Inter Miami fought back to beat FC Cincinnati 5-3 away in the MLS on Wednesday. With the World Cup in North America less than a month away, Argentina captain Messi is in excellent form. He has 11 goals in 12 MLS matches this season, Miami's latest victory boosting them into second place in the Eastern Conference with 25 points. Messi opened the scoring in the 24th minute with a fortuitous rebound off a poor clearance by Matt Miazga. It was 1-1 at half-time after Kevin Denkey's 41st-minute penalty, then Pavel Bucha scored from close range to put the hosts 2-1 up soon after the break. Messi struck again in the 55th minute, finishing off a flowing Miami attack with a left-footed shot from a cross by Rodrigo De Paul.Cincinnati's Brazilian playmaker Evander put the hosts back in front again with a blast from outside the box in the 64th minute, his seventh goal in six matches. But Messi set up a goal for young fellow Argentine Mateo Silvetti in the 79th minute, with Mexico international German Berterame scoring again for 4-3.Messi forced the final goal in the 89th minute. The 38-year-old launched himself at a cross from Silvetti and struck it with his right foot, the ball crashing off the post and deflecting in off goalkeeper Roman Celentano for an own goal. Miami coach Guillermo Hoyos was full of praise for his side."What they did today was brilliant, against a tough team and on a difficult pitch," he said. "It's very hard to play here. It's clear they're not here to stroll around MLS. "They're here to play, to give everything, and to show the world that football is played here too." He added: "We're leaving very happy. "We were able to play football at a very high level."

Argentine legend Lionel Messi has been awarded the Golden Boot as the top scorer in Major League Soccer (MLS), netting 29 goals this season in a standout campaign with Inter Miami. Messi secured the accolade following a sensational performance in his side's 5-2 win over Nashville, where he scored a hat-trick to close out the regular season in style. The goals came in the 35th, 63rd (from the penalty spot), and 81st minutes, as the World Cup winner once again demonstrated his decisive influence. Teammates Baltasar Rodriguez and Tylascho Segovia added the other two goals for Inter Miami, while Sam Surridge and Jacob Shaffelburg were on target for Nashville. With the victory, Inter Miami finished third in the Eastern Conference standings, setting up a playoff clash with sixth-placed Nashville in the MLS Cup Playoffs. The first-round series will follow the 'best-of-three' format and is scheduled to begin next Friday. Elsewhere, Philadelphia topped the Eastern Conference and claimed the Supporters' Shield, securing home advantage throughout the playoffs and a direct berth in the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup. In other playoff matchups, second-placed FC Cincinnati will face seventh-placed Columbus, while fourth-placed Charlotte will meet fifth-seeded New York City.