Lionel Messi Scores Winner as Inter Miami Rallies Past New England Revolution 2-1

Messi Goal Lifts Inter Miami into Second Place

Inter Miami CF rallied from a second half deficit to defeat the New England Revolution 2-1 on Sunday night, with Lionel Messi providing an assist before scoring the winning goal to lift Miami into second place in the Eastern Conference standings.

Miami moved one point ahead of New England with one match remaining in the regular season. The victory also secured Inter Miami a place in next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup and marked the club’s 10th road win of the season, three more than any other team in MLS.

Messi delivered when Miami needed him most, helping the club overcome an early second-half goal before finding the net in the closing stages to secure three crucial points in the Eastern Conference race.

New England Takes the Lead

Neither team found the back of the net in the first half, with Inter Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair and New England’s Matt Turner making key saves to keep the match scoreless at the break. The Revolution broke through in the 53rd minute when Dániel Gazdag finished a passing sequence involving defenders Ilay Feingold and Peyton Miller.

Gazdag collected the passes and fired a right-footed shot past St. Clair to give New England a 1-0 lead. The goal was Gazdag’s second in 11 appearances this season. Feingold recorded his fifth assist of the campaign, while the 18-year-old Miller picked up his ninth, with both defenders establishing career highs in assists.

New England entered the match riding a four-game winning streak and looked poised to strengthen its position in the Eastern Conference standings. However, Miami responded with the attacking quality that has made it one of the league’s most dangerous teams.

Messi Sets Up Berterame’s Equalizer

Inter Miami found its equalizer in the 69th minute, with Messi and Telasco Segovia combining to set up Germán Berterame for the tying goal. Berterame finished the opportunity to make it 1-1, giving Miami renewed momentum after falling behind.

The goal continued an impressive debut MLS season for Berterame, who has recorded 10 goals and 10 assists. The assist was Messi’s first goal contribution in three matches, and the Argentine superstar was not finished.

Messi Delivers the Winning Goal

Messi completed Miami’s comeback in the 83rd minute, scoring his league-leading 26th goal of the season to give Inter Miami a 2-1 advantage. Segovia provided the assist, recording his career-best 12th of the season in his second full MLS campaign. His contribution proved decisive as Miami moved in front late and held on for the victory.

Messi now has 16 assists this season, tied for the second-most in MLS, while his 42 combined goals and assists give him a nine contribution advantage over the next player in the league. The performance once again demonstrated Messi’s ability to influence a match in multiple ways, as he helped create the equalizer before delivering the decisive finish himself.

St. Clair finished with three saves for Inter Miami, which improved to 10-4-3 away from home. Turner also recorded three saves for New England, which fell to 11-4-2 at home. The result ended the Revolution’s four match winning streak and gave Miami an important boost heading into the final weekend of the regular season.

Inter Miami Moves Into Second Place

The two teams previously played to a 1-1 draw in Miami at the end of April, but Sunday’s result gave Inter Miami the upper hand in the race for Eastern Conference positioning. With one regular-season match remaining, Miami sits in second place with 54 points, one ahead of New England’s 53. The victory also confirmed Miami’s qualification for next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup, adding another important milestone to the club’s season.

Inter Miami will close out the regular season at home against Charlotte FC on Nov. 7, MLS Decision Day. New England will finish its campaign on the road against Orlando City SC. With Messi leading the league in goals and Miami building momentum at a critical stage of the season, Inter Miami will look to carry Sunday’s comeback victory into the postseason.