Messi scores two goals as Inter Miami eliminate Nashville in playoffs

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Star guardant Lionel Messi and Inter Miami precocious to MLS Cup East semifinals with Game 3 playoff triumph implicit Nashville.

Published On 9 Nov 2025

Lionel Messi scored 2 goals and assisted 2 more, and Inter Miami precocious successful the MLS Cup Playoffs for the archetypal clip successful nine past with a 4-0 triumph implicit visiting Nashville SC successful Game 3 of their first-round bid connected Saturday nighttime successful Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Messi finished the best-of-three bid with 5 goals and 3 assists, meaning helium was progressive successful each 8 tallies for third-seeded Miami. He has scored 15 times against sixth-seeded Nashville successful each competitions, by acold his astir against immoderate MLS opponent.

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By contrast, Messi has ne'er scored against No 2 effect FC Cincinnati, which volition big Inter Miami successful a one-game Eastern Conference semifinal successful 2 weeks.

Tadeo Allende scored doubly aft halftime and had an assistance arsenic Miami won contempt playing without cardinal guardant Luis Suarez, who served a one-game suspension for his kickout astatine Nashville SC’s Andy Najar successful Game 2.

Nashville was eliminated successful the archetypal circular successful a 3rd consecutive postseason appearance, having returned to the playoffs successful the archetypal afloat play coached by BJ Callaghan aft missing the 2024 tournament.

Messi enactment Miami successful beforehand successful the 10th infinitesimal connected the archetypal wide accidental for either side.

Ian Fray’s unit forced Nashville’s Matthew Corcoran into an ill-advised backward pass, which Allende deflected to Messi’s feet, with clip and abstraction to surge forward.

Messi did the rest, dribbling astatine retreating centre backmost Jack Maher earlier firing a debased decorativeness from astir 20 yards (18 metres) retired betwixt goalkeeper Joe Willis and the close post.

Then Walker Zimmerman’s antiaircraft mistake helped acceptable up Messi’s 2nd successful the 39th infinitesimal erstwhile helium reached Jordi Alba’s long, speculative shot down the near flank but failed to wide it.

Instead, it fell to Mateo Silvetti, who alertly spotted Messi moving into abstraction and provided the quadrate walk successful stride for a overmuch simpler 2nd finish.

Nashville thought it had pulled a extremity backmost lone seconds into the 2nd half, lone for evident goal-scorer Sam Surridge to beryllium whistled for a foul connected Maxi Falcon.

But eventually, Miami added security done Allende doubly successful the 73rd and 76th minutes.

On the first, Messi and Alba combined connected the near broadside of the container to acceptable up Allende’s debased decorativeness done traffic. On the second, it was Messi sending an aboriginal done ball, and Allende chipping past Willis connected the run.