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

Lionel Messi keeps making the seemingly impossible milestone look increasingly realistic.

Details: Inter Miami defeated Atlanta United 3-1 away from home in MLS, with Lionel Messi once again becoming the main star of the night. Germán Berterame opened the scoring in the 45th minute, heading in after a delivery from Luis Suárez, with Messi also receiving a secondary assist on the move.

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After the break, Messi needed only four minutes to effectively decide the match. In the 56th minute, the Argentine combined with Berterame before finishing with his left foot to make it 2-0.

Messi struck again in the 60th minute. Suárez played an exquisite pass into space with the outside of his boot, the Inter Miami captain accelerated away, beat a defender and calmly sent the ball into the bottom corner.

Fafà Picault pulled one back for Atlanta United from the penalty spot in the 89th minute, but there was no late comeback. Inter Miami secured a third consecutive MLS victory and moved onto 55 points.

The brace took Messi to 936 official career goals, leaving him only 64 short of the historic 1,000-goal mark. It is also worth noting that Messi reached 25 goals in the current MLS regular season. His secondary assist for Berterame was his 15th of the campaign, making him the first player in league history to record at least 15 assists in three consecutive seasons.

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