Lionel Messi's instant impact in the United States continued on Wednesday as he scored twice in Inter Miami's 4-0 victory over Atlanta United, firing his team into the knockout rounds of the Leagues Cup. 

The Argentine World Cup-winner was handed his first start for his new club after coming off the bench and grabbing a 94th-minute winner in Friday's game against Mexican club Cruz Azul. In his first game against a Major League Soccer club, Messi was simply too much for Atlanta to cope with and he struck up a fruitful understanding with Finnish winger Robert Taylor, who helped himself to Miami's other two goals.

The Leagues Cup is a tournament which brings together all the top flight teams from MLS and Mexico's Liga MX and with two wins Miami top their group and with their new arrival looking settled so quickly, they will surely believe they can get their first ever trophy.

Atlanta fatally began the game playing a high-line, hoping to compress the space for Messi, but the approach simply allowed Miami to pick their moments to go over the top and exploit the space behind.

It was via such a route that Messi put the home side ahead in the eighth minute when he was sent free by a ball over the top from his former Barcelona team-mate Sergio Busquets.

Miami, bottom of the MLS standings, had not won for 11 league games prior to Messi's arrival, but look utterly transformed by his impact, together with Busquets.

"Their arrival has given the players a lot of confidence," said Martino, who ten years ago coached the pair at Barcelona.