On Tuesday, Atlanta United secured their spot in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference playoffs by beating Montreal Impact in a dramatic penalty shootout in the Wild Card game. Now, they face a monumental challenge in the first round: a matchup against regular-season champions Inter Miami. However, the Five Stripes may hold a key advantage when facing Lionel Messi.
Atlanta United finished the MLS regular season in 9th place in the Eastern Conference, just scraping into the playoffs. Yet, they stand out as the only team that managed to beat Inter Miami with Lionel Messi on the field this season.
That historic victory came on May 29, Matchday 16, at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. On that day, the Argentine legend was part of Gerardo Martino’s starting XI, played the full 90 minutes, and scored a goal. Despite this, Atlanta United pulled off a 3-1 upset with goals from Saba Lobzhanidze and Jamal Thiare, marking the only blemish on Messi’s impressive MLS campaign.
Messi’s numbers this season
That loss to Atlanta United remains the only defeat Messi has suffered this MLS season. In his 19 league appearances, Leo scored 20 goals and provided 10 assists, leading Inter Miami to 12 wins, 6 draws, and just one loss—against the Five Stripes.
It’s worth noting, however, that Messi missed a significant portion of the season due to injuries and international duty. He was sidelined for four games in March due to muscular problems, then missed two more in May. His longest absence came between June and September when he left to play for Argentina in the Copa America and returned with an ankle injury that kept him off the field for almost two months.
In total, Lionel Messi missed 15 games this season, but Inter Miami managed to perform well in his absence. During those matches, the team recorded 10 wins, 2 draws, and only 3 losses, demonstrating their ability to cope without their star.
When will Inter Miami and Atlanta United play?
The first match of the playoff series between Inter Miami and Atlanta United is scheduled for Friday, October 25, at Chase Stadium. The two teams will face off again on Saturday, November 2, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. If either team secures back-to-back wins, they will advance to the next round. Otherwise, a decisive third game will be held at Chase Stadium on Saturday, November 9.