Down 1-0 in the game, 2-0 in the overall series, and needing three goals to advance, Inter Miami faced a seemingly impossible challenge. But Lionel Messi made it happen.

Messi led the team to a dramatic three-goal comeback, scoring twice, including the crucial penalty kick in the 84th minute, to secure a 3-1 win over LAFC. That gave Inter Miami a 3-2 aggregate victory in the two-leg series, sending them to the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals for the first time.

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“We gave it our all,” said Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano. “We wanted it, we wanted to be in the semis, and I think it showed. … Sometimes, luck plays a part, and we had it.”

Whether it was luck or Messi’s brilliance, or a combination of both, the result was clear. Messi’s performance, particularly his series-clinching penalty, was reminiscent of his World Cup final heroics in 2022, when he scored twice and also converted in the penalty shootout against France’s Hugo Lloris, who was also in goal for LAFC on Wednesday.

With the score tied at 1-1, Messi got things started in the 35th minute with a left-footed goal to bring Inter Miami back into the game. In the 61st minute, the team took a 2-1 lead after a fortunate sequence where a ball from Noah Allen was misjudged by Lloris, and it eventually ended up in the net. Though initially credited to Allen, the goal was later officially changed to Federico Redondo with Allen assisting.

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At 2-2 on aggregate, LAFC still had the away-goal tiebreaker, but Messi’s influence remained undeniable. In the 67th minute, Messi set up a potential go-ahead goal, but Luis Suarez’s header was ruled offside. The pressure continued, though, and Inter Miami earned a penalty after a handball, which Messi converted to give them a 3-1 lead.

The victory was Messi’s 42nd goal in 48 appearances for Inter Miami since joining the club.

“We gave everything,” Mascherano said. “This is the way to play football. I’m very happy.” Inter Miami will now face the Vancouver Whitecaps in the semifinals, with the first leg scheduled for April 22, 23, or 24.