Argentina forward Lionel Messi celebrated signing a new contract with Inter Miami by scoring twice in the win over Nashville SC.
Published October 25, 2025
Argentine superstar Lionel Messi scored twice to lead Inter Miami to a 3-1 victory over Nashville SC in the opening game of the first leg of the MLS Cup playoff series.
Taddeo Allende also scored for Inter, who took a 1-0 lead on Friday night in a three-game series with the second leg to be played in Nashville on November 1.
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Messi, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, was presented with the Golden Boot award before the match after leading the regular season scoring list with 29 goals in 28 games.
He wasted no time in proving how he earned points, scoring a diving header off a pass from Luis Suarez in the 19th minute to put Miami up 1-0.
Sergio Busquets controlled the ball near the sideline and passed it to Rodrygo de Paul.
De Paul spotted the rushing Messi, who passed the ball to Suarez on the right, and when Suarez fed him back, they pressed and connected.
Allende’s header off a pass from Ian Frey in the 62nd minute gave Miami a 2-0 lead.
“We wanted to start with a win at home because we know the playoffs are going to be tough,” De Paul said. “I hope this is just the beginning.The team did very well today in terms of intensity, focus and understanding when to attack and when to defend.
“We showed that we are growing as a team and that is the most important thing.”
In the 9th minute of stoppage time in the second half, Nashville keeper Joe Willis jumped forward to stop the ball from Jordi Alba on the left side, but was unable to corral the ball and Messi secured the victory.
That meant Hany Mukhtar’s shot in the final 11 minutes of stoppage time was just a window dressing.
The win came a day after Messi signed a three-year contract extension that will keep the 38-year-old in Florida until 2028.
That was music to the ears of MLS commissioner Don Garber, who was on hand to present Messi with the Golden Boot award.
“I don’t think I could have ever imagined that Leo could do what he did for this club, this city and this league,” Garber said.
“He reset the trajectory of Major League Soccer and we were already doing pretty well. And I think having three more years is just another gift.”
De Paul said he was happy with Messi’s performance and was also happy to have the best player of all time in his team.
“We get to see him every weekend. That’s an advantage,” he said. “We have to keep him entertained. I’m very happy about the renewal because it means we’ll be together for a few more years, so I’m very happy.”
Mascherano, who is aiming for his first MLS Cup title, said Inter cannot afford to relax despite beating Nashville in two consecutive games, including a 5-2 win in the final game of the regular season.
“Nashville has a style and a way of playing that can do a lot of damage…We made a lot of adjustments compared to the last game, but it’s not enough,” Mascherano said. “We have to keep improving.”
