Lionel Messi effect: Inter Miami's odds to win 2023 MLS Cup have improved dramatically with 2-0 start under Messi

When Argentinian soccer legend Lionel Messi first suited up for Inter Miami in his Major League Soccer debut last Friday, albeit technically not in MLS competition, Inter Miami was on a six-game winless skid and had the fewest points in the league. It still does because it hasn't played an MLS match with Messi yet, but he has three goals and an assist in two Leagues Cup games, and Inter Miami won both. That success has spilled over to MLS, though, as Inter Miami's odds to win the league this year are now down to +1900 at BetMGM.

Messi came off the bench in the second half of his Inter Miami debut against Cruz Azul last Friday in Fort Lauderdale and scored the free-kick winner in second-half stoppage time, about as dream of an ending as it gets. On Tuesday, also in Fort Lauderdale against Atlanta United in the Leagues Cup, Messi moved into the starting lineup and wore the captain's band.

Inter Miami rolled to a 4-0 victory with Messi scoring the first two goals (someone scoring two goals in a soccer match is called a brace, if you didn't know) in the eighth minute and 22nd minute. The win clinched South Group 3 for Inter Miami and a spot in the Round of 32, where it will face either MLS sides Orlando City SC or Houston Dynamo, or Liga MX club Santos Laguna on Aug. 2. 

Messi closed at -120 for an anytime goal Tuesday, +333 for the first goal and +450 to score at least two. Messi has now scored against 100 different opponents worldwide during his 20-year club career. He's victimized La Liga side Sevilla the most dating back to his Barcelona days, scoring 38 goals against them.

"Yeah, I mean, he is the best player in the world. So this is what he does," teammate Robert Taylor said after Tuesday. "Everyone sees what he does. He can keep the ball – he can do everything on the ball – he can keep it in tight spaces, he makes the right decisions 100% of the time."

Taylor had the other two goals Tuesday as he and Messi (who assisted on one) became the first pair of Inter Miami teammates to score multiple goals in a single match in club history (all competitions).

Inter Miami has a lot of work to do simply to make the MLS playoffs. It is last in the league in points with 18. Nine teams from each conference qualify, and there are 15 clubs in Inter Miami's Eastern Conference. DC United is ninth in the East with 30 points.

Before Messi's first game, Inter Miami was +3300 to win the MLS Cup, which was way shorter than it was pre-Messi signing. Before Tuesday's game, that number was down to +2500 and now it's +1900. Inter Miami's next MLS game and Messi's first is vs. Charlotte on Aug. 20.

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