Messi scores free kick for Inter Miami but Columbus win 2-1

Lionel Messi scored his 76th career goal direct from a free kick for Inter Miami at Columbus Crew. That leaves him two short of the all-time record of 78, held by Brazil's Marcelinho Carioca, The Touchline reports.

The 39-year-old struck from a tight angle in the 33rd minute and beat the goalkeeper. It levelled the game after Columbus had gone ahead from a penalty on 28 minutes.

Inter Miami lost 2-1 all the same. Columbus scored the winner in the eighth minute of stoppage time, and by then the visitors were a man down: they had five players booked, and a red card was shown at 90+6. Columbus were the sharper side in front of goal, with 6 shots on target to Inter Miami's 3, even though Miami had 56% of the ball.

The goal was Messi's third in as many MLS games. He has 21 this season in 24 appearances and 11 assists, and he keeps his lead in the scoring race over Dallas's Petar Musa, who has 18 in 23. Messi has now scored or set up a goal in 9 straight games.

The free-kick tally has also moved a long way since 2017, when Cristiano Ronaldo was ahead of him. Ronaldo has 65 now, 11 fewer than Messi, who has kept scoring from set pieces while the Portuguese has rarely done so in recent years.

Columbus, 12th in the table on 29 points after 27 games, took three points that Inter Miami could have used. Miami are second on 46 points. Two weeks ago they let a 2-1 lead at Nashville SC slip in a 2-2 draw, and Messi scored in that game too.

Messi is due to play his last game for Argentina against Benin in Buenos Aires on 6 October. If he keeps scoring from dead balls at this rate, the record could come within a few games of his return to Miami, though it depends on how many free kicks he gets to take.