Charlotte FC played a match it will never forget. In a packed Bank of America Stadium, Idan Toklomati scored three times and led a 3-0 win over Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami. The result wasn’t just another victory. It was Charlotte’s ninth in a row, tying the post-shootout era record in Major League Soccer.
Messi misses, Kahlina saves and everything changes
The story could have gone another way. At the 31st minute of the first half, Messi had the chance to put Miami in front from the penalty spot. He tried a delicate chip, the kind of shot meant to embarrass a goalkeeper, but Kristijan Kahlina stood firm, caught it, and the stadium roared. That moment flipped the game. Three minutes later, Toklomati struck and gave Charlotte the lead. From there, Charlotte grew stronger while Miami lost its shape and chased the play.
Toklomati decides and lifts Charlotte higher
Early in the second half, the Israeli forward showed his instincts again. After a move started by Zaha and Bronico, he scored the second goal. Later, from the penalty spot, he closed the match and completed his hat-trick. With those three goals, Toklomati reached 11 for the season and became the clear man of the match.
On the other side, Messi couldn’t recover from the early miss, and Miami was locked down by Charlotte’s well-organized defense. Kahlina not only saved the penalty but also recorded his 10th clean sheet of the season. He is now just two away from matching the career best that earned him Goalkeeper of the Year in 2024.
Charlotte climbs, Miami falls behind
The win pushed Charlotte FC into third place in the Eastern Conference with 53 points. Inter Miami stayed in seventh with 46. Across this winning streak, Charlotte has scored 17 goals and conceded only 4, numbers that underline the consistency making the team a serious contender for the MLS Cup playoffs.