CNN —Lionel Messi continued his impressive start to life in the US, scoring twice as Inter Miami advanced to the quarterfinals of the Leagues Cup after a penalty shootout on Sunday. The 2022 World Cup winner’s moment of magic forced a penalty shootout with a spot in the final eight on the line. And Messi once again stepped up, calmly slotting home his penalty, while 18-year-old Benjamin Cremaschi converted his spot-kick to seal a 5-3 victory for Inter Miami. “It is true that we count on the best player in the world,” said Inter Miami head coach Gerardo Martino “and you can’t ignore that.”Messi one of Inter Miami's penalties against FC Dallas. The Leagues Cup is joint competition organized by the top-tier soccer competitions in the US and Mexico which features every club in the top two leagues in North America.

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Persons: Lionel Messi, Messi, Jordi Alba, Benjamin Cremaschi, ”, Gerardo Martino “, ” Messi, LM Otero Organizations: CNN, Inter Miami, Leagues, Sunday, Argentine, FC Dallas, Miami, Inter, AP Inter Miami, Houston Dynamo, Charlotte FC, Concacaf Champions League Locations: Barcelona, Florida, Mexico, North America