Lionel Messi delivered another jaw‑dropping moment in his growing Inter Miami highlight reel, curling in a trademark free kick in the 85th minute to cap a frantic 4‑4 draw at Toyota Stadium on Aug. 6, 2023. The Argentina star finished with two goals on the night, and teenager Benjamin Cremaschi buried the decisive spot‑kick as Miami advanced to the Leagues Cup quarter‑finals.
Messi's Early Spark and a VAR Reprieve
Miami wasted no time. Inside six minutes, Messi calmly side‑footed home a Jordi Alba pull‑back, only to see the flag go up. A VAR check ruled the play onside and restored the goal, according to MLSSoccer. From there, the first half simmered, then the second half completely boiled over as both teams mixed moments of brilliance with defensive chaos that produced four more goals.
Own Goals, a Teenager's Spark and a Furious Comeback
FC Dallas punched back through Facundo Quignon, then Bernard Kamungo just before half‑time, and Alan Velasco added a 63rd‑minute free kick to stretch the lead to 3‑1. Miami's response started almost instantly when substitute Benjamin Cremaschi scored within a minute of coming on, and a pair of own goals, Robert Taylor and Marco Farfan, with the latter heading a Messi chip into his own net, set the stage for Messi's late equaliser, per The Dallas Morning News.
Shootout and Cremaschi's Cool Finish
Under Leagues Cup rules, a draw after regulation meant straight to penalties. Messi stepped up first for Miami and converted, while FC Dallas' Paxton Pomykal missed his attempt. That opened the door for Cremaschi, who kept his composure on Miami's fifth kick to seal a 5‑3 shootout win and push Inter Miami through, according to CBS Sports.
Why This Moment Still Resonates
The match keeps resurfacing as Leagues Cup organizers gear up for the tournament's return and have unveiled the 2026 schedule, prompting another round of clips and think‑pieces built around Messi's free kick, per Leagues Cup. A fresh run of coverage driven by TribalFootball and its republication of the AFP recap has nudged the game back into the headlines this week, a reminder of how Messi and a young Cremaschi teamed up for one of the competition's most replayed finales.
