Lionel Messi breaks MLS record with stunning feat after returning from injury
Lionel Messi was back with a bang after returning to Inter Miami from injury to help them beat Philadelphia Union 3-1 in the MLS.
The World Cup winner had been missing since July after picking up an ankle injury in the Copa America final against Colombia, which Argentina won.
It has seen Messi miss a host of games including eight MLS matches and Argentina's World Cup qualifiers this month.
But the 37-year-old played the entire 90 minutes on Saturday night as Inter Miami faced Philadelphia Union at the Chase Stadium.
Lionel Messi scored twice and grabbed an assist in Inter Miami's 3-1 win
And the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner looked right at home as he scored twice in four minutes to wrestle the lead back after Philadelphia took an early lead.
Messi scored his first on 26 minutes after beating a defender before beating the goalkeeper with his former Barcelona pal Luis Suarez providing the assist.
Another ex-Barca star Jordi Alba then set up Messi's second strike just four minutes later to overturn Mikael Ukre's 58-second opener to make it 2-1 to Inter Miami.
But Messi was not done yet and he went on to set Suarez up in the dying embers of the match to make it 3-1 to keep Inter Miami at the top of the Eastern Conference.
The brace also saw the former Paris Saint-Germain star smash an MLS record after recording 15 goals and 15 assists in total, while his late assists took the tally to 16.
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Including the six MLS matches he played last season, Messi has reached the feat in just 19 appearances - breaking the previous record held by Sebastian Giovinco, who registered 15 goals and 15 assists in 29 MLS appearances.
Having just returned from injury, the forward admitted after the match that he felt tired.
"I really wanted to come back, I had been off of the field for a long time," he said.
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Lionel Messi broke an MLS record with his goals and assist
"Little by little I was training with the group, feeling good and that's why we decided that I would start, and I'm very happy."
Messi now has 14 goals in 13 matches in the MLS this season and Inter Miami are top of the table by 10 points.
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Lionel Messi had been out for two months with injury
Gerardo Martino's men next face Atlanta United at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Wednesday night.
Whether Messi starts the contest remains to be seen with Martino likely wanting to ease his superstar back in the squad.
Atlanta United also have an artificial pitch, which could add to the risk of injury.