Lionel Messi continued rewriting the Major League Soccer record books on Saturday night, scoring twice to lift Inter Miami to a 2-1 victory over Nashville SC at Chase Stadium.
With his pair of goals, Messi extended his MLS-record streak of scoring multiple goals in a match to five consecutive games — an unprecedented feat that underscores his dominance since arriving in South Florida. The victory improves Inter Miami’s record to 11-5-3 (38 points) and keeps them firmly in contention near the top of the Eastern Conference.
Miami’s win also halted Nashville’s remarkable 15-game unbeaten run across all competitions, which dated back to a loss at Seattle on April 19. The defeat drops Nashville to 12-5-5 (41 points) and leaves them just ahead of Miami in the conference standings.
Messi wasted little time to make his mark on the match, striking in the 17th minute with another free-kick masterpiece. The Argentine star threaded the ball through a narrow gap in the defensive wall, curling it beyond the reach of Nashville goalkeeper Joe Willis to open the scoring. It was Messi’s 16th MLS goal of the season, tying him with Nashville’s Sam Surridge atop the league scoring chart.
Nashville responded early in the second half, finding their equalizer in the 49th minute. Hany Mukhtar scored his 10th goal of the campaign, rising to head home a pinpoint cross from Andy Najar. Patrick Yazbek was also credited with an assist as Nashville momentarily seized the momentum.
But in the 62nd minute, disaster struck for Nashville’s defense. Willis, under pressure, misplayed a clearance after chesting down a loose ball. The ball went straight to Messi, who coolly collected it, evaded Willis and slotted it into the net for the decisive goal — his 22nd across all competitions this season.
With Saturday’s victory, Miami has now won five consecutive MLS matches and remains unbeaten in its last five meetings against Nashville (4-0-1). The club has also rebounded strongly from its recent elimination by Paris Saint-Germain in the Round of 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup on June 29, winning three straight matches since.
Messi’s impact this season has been nothing short of historic: 16 goals and 7 assists in MLS play alone, and 23 direct goal contributions overall. Even more impressively, he has now scored two or more goals in each of his last five league appearances — a run unmatched in MLS history.
Both teams return to action on Wednesday night. Inter Miami will travel to face FC Cincinnati, while Nashville SC will look to bounce back when they host the Columbus Crew.
For now, Messi’s brilliance remains the headline, as Inter Miami continues to ride the magic of its Argentine superstar deeper into the MLS season.
