Argentine star Lionel Messi scored two goals and led his team Inter Miami to a 4-0 victory over visiting Atlanta United, taking sole possession of the top scorer spot in Major League Soccer, while veteran German Thomas Müller scored the winning goal for his team Vancouver Whitecaps in a 2-1 away win against Orlando City in the 33rd round.

In the first match, Messi scored the first and fourth goals in the 39th and 87th minutes, raising his tally to 26 goals at the top of the scorers list, two goals ahead of his former partner, Gabonese striker for Los Angeles FC, Denis Bouanga.

Messi assisted the second goal for his team with a pass to former Barcelona teammate, Spanish international defender Jordi Alba in the 52nd minute, marking his nineteenth assist this season, while their other former Barcelona teammate, Uruguayan Luis Suárez, scored the third goal in the 61st minute.

Inter Miami, who had already secured qualification to the playoffs, continued to improve their position in the Eastern Conference, strengthening their third place with 62 points, just behind second-placed Cincinnati on goal difference, and four points behind Philadelphia, the leader who clinched the Supporters’ Shield as the best regular season team in the league.

Messi opened the scoring by capitalizing on a ball near the edge of the box from fellow Argentine Belászar Rodríguez, who took it from Atlanta’s Senegalese forward Jamal Tiare, then dribbled inside and fired a brilliant left-footed shot into the far right corner past goalkeeper Jayden Hibbert (39).

Hibbert denied Messi a goal in the 13th minute when the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner received the ball just meters from the goal, controlled it on his chest and shot with his left foot, but the goalkeeper made a brilliant save before the defense cleared (21), then denied a second goal with a close-range save (43).

The crossbar denied Suárez a certain goal by deflecting his volley from close range following a pass from Messi (45+3).

Alba extended Inter Miami’s lead when he received a long ball behind the defense from Messi, went one-on-one with goalkeeper Hibbert and chipped the ball into the net (52).

This was Alba’s sixth goal, and the club honored him before the match after he announced his retirement at the end of the season.

Suárez scored the third goal with a right-footed volley from the edge of the box (61), raising his tally to 10 goals this season.

Messi sealed the scoring in the 87th minute with a close-range left-footed shot following a long pass from Alba inside the box; he controlled it on his chest and shot a low left-footed strike into the net.

Saturday’s match was Inter Miami’s last home game of the regular season at the Chase Stadium, as they prepare to move to their new stadium, Miami Freedom Park, next season.

In the second match in Orlando, former Germany and Bayern Munich star Thomas Müller scored the winning goal in the seventh minute of added time, leading Vancouver Whitecaps to a 2-1 victory over Orlando City SC.

Vancouver strengthened their lead in the Western Conference with 63 points, three points ahead of direct pursuer San Diego.

It was Müller’s seventh goal in eight matches across various competitions. He scored with a powerful low shot from outside the box that went past Peruvian international goalkeeper Pedro Gallese’s left side.

Orlando took the lead through Icelandic midfielder Dagur Thorhallsson (24), but Vancouver waited until the 81st minute to equalize via Haitian Nelson Pierre, before Müller scored the winner (90+7).