VIDEO: Angry Lionel Messi screams in Atlas rival's face to celebrate Inter Miami winning Leagues Cup goal before giving up No.10 jersey as apology gesture

The Argentine superstar put in another match-altering performance for the Herons as he recorded two assists in a battling 2-1 Leagues Cup win over Mexican opposition. The decisive goal in that contest arrived in the 96th minute.

Messi, who teed up Marcelo Weigandt for the game winner, celebrated wildly in front of Matias Coccaro as Inter Miami snatched the spoils. He was responding to the Uruguayan celebrating Atlas’ equaliser in front of the home support in South Florida.

While Messi allowed emotion to get the better of him in the heat of the moment, any differences were quickly put to one side. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner shared a warm embrace with Coccaro before handing over one of his prized No.10 jerseys behind the scenes.

Coccaro told reporters in the mixed zone: “When we tied it 1-1, I motivated my team-mates, and he (Messi) took it the wrong way. Afterwards, when they scored, he yelled at me. When the match was over, we hugged. I said to him, 'What am I going to say to you?' I'm a winner; I always want to win. He understood and said, 'I'm sending you the jersey.' The fact that he came to apologise like that speaks highly of him as a person. I'm very reassured by the image he leaves me with.

“He understood that I'm here to defend everything at Atlas, and that's how I live it. That's why he came and yelled at me. But then he came up to me to apologise, unnecessarily. That gesture makes him even bigger. He's the best in history. I wouldn't say anything about him... about anyone else. And (Luis) Suarez, who's my idol.”

Inter Miami, who saw Messi inspire them to a historic Leagues Cup triumph in 2023, will be back in action on Saturday when welcoming Necaxa - who count Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney and Eva Longoria among their investors - to Chase Stadium.