Lionel Messi's celebration for Rodrigo De Paul's first goal for Inter Miami in the Leagues Cup

Rodrigo De Paul 's arrival at Inter Miami is going perfectly. He's already provided two assists in MLS and this Wednesday he scored his first goal in the pink jersey in a key Leagues Cup match against Pumas de México. And Lionel Messi couldn't miss it .

El Motorcito scored in the 44th minute of the first half, tying the score at 1-1. Messi, who was in his special box at the foot of the pitch at Chase Stadium, broke into a happy smile after seeing what his teammate and friend had accomplished.

Rodrigo De Paul's first @InterMiamiCF goal! 👏🇦🇷

And Messi approves. #LeaguesCup2025 pic.twitter.com/qaaQBM7ZQD

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 7, 2025

Dressed in a brown shirt and accompanied by his wife Antonela Roccuzzo and his three sons - Thiago, Mateo and Ciro - Messi rose from his seat when the cross landed on the chest of the world champion midfielder, who slept it and finished with great class, as if he were a lifelong number 9.

It was De Paul's first goal in his three matches for Inter Miami. Last Saturday, he provided both assists for the equalizer against Atlas, also from Mexico, and then converted in the penalty shootout that sealed the victory for Javier Mascherano's team.

Messi, who has a "minor" hamstring injury in his right leg, has no estimated recovery time, but since it's a muscle problem, he's expected to be sidelined for at least 10 more days.

In the preview, Mascherano had commented on the 38-year-old Rosario star's progress. "We'll see how he feels and progresses. It's a minor injury, and on the downside, it's good news. We don't like to dictate timing, especially in Leo's case, because we know the noise there always is around him when he's out of a game," Mascherano explained.

"He's a very special player who usually recovers very well from injuries and, above all, he does so quickly," the Rosario coach emphasized.