Watch: Lionel Messi scores 'amazing' goal in Inter Miami's win over Sporting KC

Lionel Messi scored his fifth goal of the season and provided an assist while Luis Suarez tapped in the winner in the 71st minute as Inter Miami beat Sporting Kansas City 3-2 on Saturday night in front of the third-largest crowd in MLS regular-season history.

Many of the 72,610 who filled Arrowhead Stadium to see Messi in action weren’t disappointed as he delivered deft passes to create chances — and had a highlight-reel goal.

Messi’s left-footed shot from outside the box put Inter Miami 2-1 up in the 51st minute. The Argentine has now scored in four MLS games in a row.

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MESSI MAGIC AT ARROWHEAD STADIUM ✨

What. A. Strike. pic.twitter.com/E3ax584Nw9

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 14, 2024

“It was an amazing goal,” Miami midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi said. “He does this all the time, so it doesn’t surprise me at all. It’s normal from a guy like him.”

With Inter Miami trailing 1-0 in the 18th minute, Messi provided an assist for Diego Gómez’s first-touch right-footed strike to bring things level.

“The pass that Messi makes and the second goal, the ball that he hits where he hits it from, you don’t see that much in the MLS,” Sporting KC coach Peter Vermes said. “They can punish you.”

After a defensive mistake by Sporting KC, Suarez converted Gomez’s cross inside the six-yard box to take the lead. It was Suarez’s sixth goal of the season.

“We lost the ball three times,” Vermes said. “And they have the quality that when you do, they can punish you.”

Inter Miami lead the MLS in goals scored, with 19.

Messi had an excellent chance to give Inter Miami the lead in the 27th minute from 12 yards out, but it was smothered by Kansas City’s Tim Melia.

Messi’s free kick in the 41st minute from 25 yards barely missed wide right.

“Unbelievable player and he can create something out of thin air,” Sporting KC forward Daniel Salloi said. “It was a great experience to play against these guys.”

Erik Thommy opened the scoring for Sporting KC in the sixth minute with a 16-yard strike. He scored again in the 58th minute on a rebound off Salloi’s corner kick to make it 2-2.

Thommy’s goals were his second and third of the season — and first since opening day.

“I had to take the risk, on the corner,” Thommy said. “I had the confidence and had a good feeling.”

The crowd was 20,000 larger than the previous Sporting KC record set in 2010 during a friendly against Manchester United.

“The environment was out of this world fantastic,” Vermes said. “This was incredible.”