Messi compared to Picasso as he makes Inter Miami return

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FT Desk

Lionel Messi has been hailed as football's version of Pablo Picasso following his return for Inter Miami.

The Argentine arrived late to Inter Miami duties for the recommencement of the Major League Soccer campaign following his exploits at the World Cup, as his brilliance helped the South American side to reach the final when they suffered defeat against Spain in extra time.

Messi was one of the best players in the tournament and scored eight goals and recorded four assists. At one point, he became the top goalscorer in the history of the competition but that record was subsequently taken by Kylian Mbappe.

After a couple of weeks off, he made his official Inter Miami return with an appearance off the bench against Columbus Crew. He returned to the starting XI on Wednesday and was in sparkling form as Miami defeated Mexican side San Luis in the Leagues Cup.

The finish. The celebration. Leo Messi 🩷🖤 pic.twitter.com/fRxzbkF6Ae

— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) August 6, 2026

The MLS outfit actully conceded early on but rallied to go 4-1 up before the break, with Messi scoring two of those goals and setting up another. They eventually won 4-2.

The coach of Inter Miami, Guillermo Hoyos, compared Lionel Messi to the painter Pablo Picasso.

"There are no qualifiers. The boys were showing me the first goal he scored. Those of us who have played soccer know what it's like. If we talked about painting, it would be Picasso," Hoyos said of Messi's first goal.

The Leagues Cup is an annual tournament that features clubs from MLS and Mexico's Liga MX. It is organised by Concacaf and gives teams from both leagues the chance to compete against each other.

The best teams advance to the knockout rounds, where they compete in single-elimination matches until a champion is crowned.

The Leagues Cup is important because the top teams qualify for the Concacaf Champions Cup, making it one of the biggest club competitions in North America. It has also grown in popularity by featuring many of the region's top players and clubs.

In 2023, Messi helped Miami win the Leagues Cup, which was the club's first-ever piece of silverware.