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Lionel Messi made a perfect return to Inter Miami last night, scoring two goals in just four minutes as he helped his side to a 3-1 win over Philadelphia Union.

The 37-year-old was making his first appearance for the MLS team since sustaining an ankle injury in Argentina’s 1-0 win over Colombia in the Copa America final in July.

And he got off to a quick start on his return, with his former Barcelona teammate Luis Suárez playing the ball to him on the edge of the box before he cut past his marker and fired a low shot into the bottom corner in the 26th minute.

Moments later, in the 30th minute, he arrived in the box to connect with a low cross from another former teammate, Jordi Alba, this time cutting across his body and firing the ball into the opposite corner.

And Messi completed a perfect return with an assist for Luis Suarez in the 98th minute, laying the ball off to the Uruguayan on the edge of the box before he curled his own shot into the bottom corner.

Thanks to these performances, Messi has scored 14 goals and 10 assists in just 13 MLS appearances this season. Despite missing 15 matches for the club this season, Messi is eighth on the list of MLS’s top scorers this season, five goals behind Christian Benteke and three behind teammate Suarez.

Inter Miami leads the Eastern Conference with 62 points, ten points ahead of nearest rival Cincinnati, despite being without Messi for the last nine games.

The Argentine played for the national team in June and July before an ankle injury kept him out of action for Inter Miami’s final four games.

The Fort Lauderdale-based club will compete in the MLS Cup for the first time in October, when the regular season ends and the playoffs begin, but it is not yet known who they will face in the first Eastern Conference playoff.