After falling behind early, Inter Miami turned the game around against New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer with a standout performance from Lionel Messi. The Argentine forward was instrumental, contributing two assists and a stunning goal.
Alexander Hack had scored the opener for the hosts at Red Bull Arena in the 14th minute of the first half, taking advantage of a poor reaction from goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo and the defenders after a corner kick.
However, just 10 minutes later, Messi rescued Inter Miami with a brilliant assist to Jordi Alba. Soon after, he delivered another superb pass to the Spanish left-back, who this time set up Telasco Segovia to make it 2–1 with a subtle touch. Segovia himself extended the lead near the end of the first half with a well-placed strike.
Messi’s goals
After a first half in which Messi led Inter Miami as a playmaker and distributed assists, he showed his scoring side after the break. In the 60th minute, Sergio Busquets delivered a brilliant pass that left him one-on-one with goalkeeper Carlos Coronel. Messi didn’t miss—he rounded the keeper and scored into an open net.
Fifteen minutes later, it was Luis Suarez who provided the assist with a cross into the box. The Argentine forward controlled the ball with his chest, beat a defender, and fired home the team’s fifth goal with a powerful left-footed strike.
Messi leads MLS in goals in 2025
Lionel Messi’s two goals on Saturday against New York Red Bulls add to an already remarkable list of performances this season. He has scored twice in six of his last seven appearances for Inter Miami—the only exception being last Wednesday’s 3–0 loss to CF Cincinnati.
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Thanks to that incredible run, Messi has climbed to the top of the MLS scoring charts. He now leads the league with 18 goals, surpassing Nashville’s Sam Surridge, who had been the top scorer with 17. Behind them are Cincinnati’s Evander (15), Philadelphia Union’s Tai Baribo (14), and Sporting Kansas City’s Dejan Joveljic (13).
