Messi assisted on Tadeo Allende's goal in the 13th minute, and scored a goal in the 15th minute against Columbus backup goalie Nicholas Hagen. He scored his second goal in the 24th minute, marking his second straight match with a brace, giving Inter Miami a 3-0 lead.

Lionel Messi scored for the fifth time in three MLS matches to put Inter Miami up 3-0 early against Columbus Crew on Saturday.

Challenged with making up for an injury-plagued roster, Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano tweaked his starting lineup Saturday for the home game against the Columbus Crew. The team was missing injured defenders Jordi Alba and Gonzalo Lujan,