Lionel Messi took his revenge on a player who had provoked him into displaying an unusually angry side of his personality as Inter Miami secured a 3-1 away victory over Atlanta.
Messi recently brought his illustrious international career to a close, receiving an emotional farewell during his final appearance for Argentina.
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However, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has not retired from professional football and continues to produce moments of brilliance for his club in Major League Soccer.
Messi netted two spectacular individual goals just four minutes apart at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, taking his tally for the season to 29 goals.
Despite having scored more than 900 goals throughout his career, the Argentine appeared to take particular pleasure in his second goal.
September 6 : He screamed and celebrated Messi’ miss in Messi’ face
October 18 : Messi went to celebrate his goal in front of his face and told him to let them keep the banter cycle going 😂😂pic.twitter.com/CpEO7tSQzl https://t.co/XamMjKdHLA
— J. 🇵🇸 (@Messilizer0) October 18, 2026
The 39-year-old completely outplayed Junior Alonso, leaving the defender struggling to keep up with his dazzling footwork before calmly finding the back of the net and celebrating enthusiastically.
As Messi made his way towards the halfway line ahead of the restart, he took the opportunity to taunt Alonso.
Messi and his close friend Rodrigo De Paul celebrated directly in front of the Paraguayan defender. The reaction was unusual for the normally reserved forward, who was also spotted making a spinning motion that seemed to mimic the way he had embarrassed his opponent.
However, there was a clear history behind Messi’s actions.
During an earlier encounter between the two sides, Inter Miami and Atlanta played out a 2-2 draw. On that occasion, Alonso celebrated directly in Messi’s face after successfully blocking one of the Argentine’s attempts on goal.
Although Messi did not immediately react to the provocation, his frustration became evident after the final whistle when he confronted Alonso.
Players from both teams attempted to calm the situation, but the disagreement reportedly continued as they headed down the tunnel. Messi was clearly unhappy with what he perceived as disrespect from the former Lille defender.
Alonso later discussed the incident, explaining: “Messi was angry because I celebrated a clearance near him. He told me that was out of line.
“I told him that when his Argentina teammates Romero, Paredes and De Paul do that, he doesn’t say anything to them.”
This time, Messi delivered his response on the pitch in emphatic fashion, with Alonso choosing not to react to the celebration.
The Inter Miami captain was subsequently named Man of the Match after his team’s victory at the same stadium where he and Argentina defeated England in the World Cup semi-final.
Reflecting on the result in an Instagram post, Messi wrote: “Another victory with @intermiamicf in a stadium that brings back beautiful memories from a little while ago…..”
Inter Miami currently sit second in the MLS Eastern Conference after playing 30 matches. They will return to action on Saturday when they face the New York Red Bulls.
