Lionel Messi once again proved why he’s the king of the pitch, netting a brace to power Inter Miami to a 3-1 victory over Nashville SC in their MLS Cup playoff opener.
It was a dream start for Miami, who took the lead in the best-of-three series on Friday night. The second clash will take place in Nashville on November 1.
Before kickoff, Messi received the Golden Boot award after finishing the regular season with 29 goals in 28 matches. The Argentinian legend wasted no time showing why he’s still the man to watch.
In the 19th minute, Messi opened the scoring with a diving header off Luis Suarez’s pinpoint pass. The play began with Sergio Busquets regaining possession near the sideline, linking up with Rodrigo De Paul, who found Messi charging forward. A slick one-two with Suarez ended perfectly as Messi’s header hit the back of the net.
Tadeo Allende doubled the lead in the 62nd minute, nodding home from an Ian Fray assist. Miami’s rhythm, control, and clinical finishing kept Nashville chasing shadows.
“We know that playoffs are tough, so we wanted to start with a win at home,” De Paul said. “Hopefully, this is just the beginning. The team did very well today in terms of intensity, focus, understanding the moments when to attack and when to defend.
“We showed that we are growing as a team, and that’s the most important thing.”
Messi sealed the win deep into stoppage time. Nashville goalkeeper Joe Willis failed to hold onto Jordi Alba’s cross, leaving Messi to calmly slot in his second of the night.
Hany Mukhtar’s late goal for Nashville in the 11th minute of added time served as little more than consolation.
The victory capped off a special week for Messi, who signed a new three-year deal to stay with Inter Miami through 2028.
The Herons will now head to Nashville full of confidence, with Messi leading the charge once again.
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