Bold! Messi trolls an opponent after scoring. PHOTO

Lionel Messi did not forget his previous clash with Júnior Alonso — and found a memorable way to answer him.

Details: Lionel Messi produced a cheeky celebration during Inter Miami’s 3-1 away victory over Atlanta United. After scoring his second goal of the night in the 60th minute, the Argentine turned toward defender Júnior Alonso and made a hand gesture seemingly suggesting that the Paraguayan was still spinning after trying to stop him.

• Also read: Can Celta’s defense compensate for their attacking problems? Celta vs Alavés prediction – 18.10.2026

The gesture had some history behind it. During the teams’ previous meeting in September, Alonso made a crucial late block to deny Messi and celebrated the defensive play in front of him. The pair then exchanged words after the final whistle of the 2-2 draw.

This time Messi responded on the pitch. He scored in the 56th minute and struck again four minutes later after a pass from Luis Suárez, beating Alonso before calmly finishing. Rodrigo De Paul joined Messi near the defender during the celebration, while Alonso reacted with a smile.

It is worth noting that Messi has now scored 25 goals in the 2026 MLS regular season. The brace also took the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner to 936 official career goals, while Inter Miami secured their third consecutive league victory.

Reminder: Messi bags a brace! 1,000 goals are getting closer. VIDEO