Lionel Messi was the clear star of the match. He scored twice and provided an assist, leading Inter Miami to a dominant 5-1 win over the New York Red Bulls in the regular season of Major League Soccer. The victory brought the Florida side to 41 points, placing them fifth in the Eastern Conference and securing a spot in the direct playoff qualification zone.
New York remains with 33 points and sits in ninth place, within the play-in bracket. Messi now has 18 goals this season, tying him for the top spot in the race for the league’s Golden Boot.
Quick reaction and sharp teamwork
The Red Bulls opened the scoring in the 15th minute when Alexander Hack headed in after a cross into the box. But Inter Miami responded quickly. In the 24th minute, Messi found Jordi Alba with a precise pass on the left side. Alba controlled the ball and finished with a powerful shot from a tight angle. It was his first goal in the regular season, and Messi's eighth assist. Suárez was also involved, registering the secondary assist.
Just three minutes later, Segovia put Inter Miami in front. Messi played the ball to Alba, who set up the defender near the edge of the area. Segovia finished calmly into the bottom corner, notching his sixth goal of the season. In stoppage time of the first half, Telasco added another. After a messy sequence in the box, the midfielder struck cleanly into the right side of the net, giving Inter Miami a 3–1 lead going into halftime.
Second half belonged entirely to Messi
After the break, Inter Miami kept pressing. At the 60-minute mark, Messi got a sharp pass from Busquets, rounded the goalkeeper and slotted it in with his left foot. The move started with Alba heading it to Busquets, who picked out Messi inside the box. That made it 17 goals for the Argentine this season, with Busquets collecting his fifth assist.
Fifteen minutes later, Messi struck again. Suárez delivered a cross from the left, and Messi brought it down on his chest before firing a volley past the keeper. Inter Miami finished the match in control and didn’t face much resistance in the second half, locking in another three points.
Historic mark places Messi among MLS greats
Messi’s night wasn’t just about the goals. He hit an important milestone by becoming only the fifth player in MLS history to record at least 35 goals and 25 assists across two seasons. He now joins Robbie Keane, Sebastian Giovinco, Carlos Vela and Cucho Hernández on that exclusive list.
The Argentine forward has now scored 874 goals in his career: 672 for Barcelona, 30 with PSG, 58 for Inter Miami and 112 for Argentina. That leaves him 64 behind Cristiano Ronaldo, who sits at 938. The gap is still there, but Messi’s recent form in MLS is putting pressure on the race between the two global icons. And against all expectations, the number 10 shows no signs of slowing down.