Inter Miami vs New York City: Messi scores as Miami enter MLS Cup playoffs

Argentina star’s 2 goals and 1 each from Suarez and Rodriguez assistance Miami bushed NYCFC 4-0.

Lionel Messi scored 2 goals and assisted connected different arsenic Inter Miami bushed New York City FC 4-0 to seal a berth successful the MLS Cup playoffs for the 2nd twelvemonth running.

Luis Suarez and Baltasar Rodriguez were the different extremity scorers for Miami arsenic the visitors snapped NYCFC’s three-game winning streak astatine Citi Field, New York, connected Wednesday.

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The triumph helped Miami determination into 3rd place, supra NYCFC and Charlotte FC successful the Eastern Conference with 55 points from 16 games.

Messi’s brace helped him determination to the apical spot connected the MLS goal-scoring charts with 24 goals successful 23 games, 2 up of LAFC’s Denis Bouanga.

The Argentinian star’s archetypal extremity came successful the 74th infinitesimal erstwhile helium reached Sergio Busquets’s exceptional through-ball and chipped the charging Matt Freese. His 2nd came 12 minutes later, erstwhile helium finished debased connected the dribble connected an onslaught acceptable up by Marcelo Weigandt’s walk and Suarez’s decoy run.

Messi was a supplier first, erstwhile Rodriguez enactment Miami successful beforehand successful the 43rd infinitesimal by finishing disconnected an onslaught that flowed consecutive up New York’s middle.

Busquets intercepted a walk successful his ain fractional and past rapidly fed the shot to Messi, who turned his assemblage towards the extremity with 1 touch, then, with his second, fed Rodriguez’s tally successful down the NYCFC defence.

After 1 interaction forward, Rodriguez dispatched his 2nd from conscionable wrong the punishment area, debased past Freese and wrong the close post.

Messi, who volition play the MLS Cup playoffs for the 2nd time, has 3 consecutive matches with astatine slightest 1 extremity and 1 assistance and has stamped himself a campaigner for the 2025 Most Valuable Player award.

.@InterMiamiCF are heading to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/CaoKQ0WaD9

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 25, 2025