New Delhi, Oct. 12 -- Lionel Messi became the first player in the history of Major League Soccer (MLS) to produce nine multi-goal games in a single regular season, after the Inter Miami star scored a brace in their 4-0 win over Atlanta United on Sunday at the Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Notably, Messi sat out of Argentina's friendly with Venezuela a night earlier in Miami.

With this win, Inter Miami guaranteed themselves at least a No.3 seed in the Eastern Conference. They still can go a spot up, it Inter Miami can finish above FC Cincinnati. Both Inter Miami and FC Cincinnati are on 62 points each. If they finish on equal points, FC Cincinnati will take the higher seed by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker.

The Messi ...