Hany mukhtar

MLS Commissioner Don Garber: Lionel Messi once again proved his unmatched brilliance, scoring twice to propel Inter Miami to a commanding 3-1 victory over Nashville SC in the opening game of their MLS Cup round one playoff series on Friday night in Fort Lauderdale.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, who was presented with the Golden Boot award before kickoff for topping the regular-season scoring chart with 29 goals in 28 games, wasted little time in showing why he remains the face of Major League Soccer.

In the 19th minute, Messi connected with a diving header off a Luis Suarez cross to open the scoring, capping a slick move that began with Sergio Busquets regaining possession near the sideline before finding Rodrigo De Paul, who linked up with Messi and Suarez in a sequence of vintage chemistry.