The Argentine star forward’s two goals and an assist led Miami to their fifth consecutive away win in the US MLS.
Published May 14, 2026
Lionel Messi scored the 10th and 11th goals and an assist as Inter Miami exploited two defensive lapses to beat host Cincinnati 5-3, with German Bertelame scoring the go-ahead goal in the 84th minute.
Matteo Silvetti tied Miami at 3-3 in the 79th minute, starting a late rally that saw the Herons (7-2-4, 25 points) win their fifth straight on the road and seventh in all competitions on the road in Major League Soccer (MLS) Wednesday night.
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Messi and Silvetti had assists during the rally, and Rodrigo De Paul also had two assists on the night, giving Miami another win in a rematch of its 4-0 victory in Cincinnati in the 2025 Eastern Conference semifinals.
Kevin Denke scored his eighth goal and had two assists for Cincinnati (4-5-4, 16 points). Evander added his seventh goal with a great shot in the 64th minute for a 3-2 lead.
Pavel Busha also scored, marking the fifth time in nine games he allowed three or more goals, ending a six-game unbeaten streak.
Messi provided the pass for Silvetti’s tying goal following a turnover in Cincinnati’s own half, sending the ball to the 20-year-old Silvetti on the left side of the penalty area. Silvetti had a lot to do, cutting inside and guiding a low finish through traffic into the bottom right corner.
Bertelame’s fourth goal of the season put the Herons ahead five minutes later.
Messi was involved again, firing a diagonal free kick toward the top of the six-yard box that appeared to be comfortably caught by Cincinnati goalkeeper Roman Celentano. However, centre-back Andrej Chirila collided with his own keeper, who spilled the ball, allowing Bertelame to easily score into an open net.
Messi nearly completed his third hat-trick in MLS in the 89th minute when he ran in to Silvetti’s cross from the left and slid a shot inside the right post. However, the ball bounced off Celentano and crossed the line, so it was ultimately ruled an own goal.
Messi took the lead in the 24th minute with Cincy’s first big mistake, pressuring center back Matt Miazga and deflecting his careless pass for an open goal when Miazga should have cleared the ball to Miami’s corner.
His second goal came in the 55th minute from a more typical attack, after a combination play that also involved Luis Suarez, as he ran in to De Paul’s cross at the penalty spot to level the game at 2-2.
