Inter Miami Make History: Messi's Double Seals First-Ever Playoff Series Victory

Written by Patrick Echatah

Lionel Messi scored two first-half goals, powering Inter Miami to a 4-0 win against Nashville SC at Chase Stadium on Saturday.

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This victory secured the club’s first-ever advance in the MLS playoffs. Tadeo Allende sealed the result with a late second-half brace, assisted by Messi on the final goal.

Inter Miami defeated their opponent 2-1 in the best-of-three, Round One series to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Their next opponent will be the No. 2 seed, FC Cincinnati. The team faced a challenge in the final game because star striker Luis Suárez was suspended for one game due to violent conduct in the previous match, meaning he had to watch from the sidelines.

However, despite Suárez’s absence, Inter Miami quickly took the lead in the 10th minute when Lionel Messi got the ball and scored with a shot into the goal’s lower right corner.

Messi extended the lead late in the second half, assisted by Mateo Silvetti, who had replaced Suárez in the starting lineup at head coach Javier Mascherano’s choice. As Miami’s dominance continued, Allende quickly scored two goals within five minutes, securing their spot in the next playoff round.

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Rocco Ríos Novo recorded the team’s first clean sheet of the 2025 postseason, despite Nashville taking 11 shots. Regular-season Golden Boot winner Messi wrapped up the three-game series with five goals and is also a finalist for the 2025 MVP award.

Inter Miami, the Eastern Conference’s No. 3 seed, is set to travel to TQL Stadium in Ohio to face FC Cincinnati in the single-match Eastern Conference semifinal. This comes after a history of early playoff exits for Miami, who failed to advance past the first round in both 2022 and 2024.

Saturday’s win guarantees at least one more match for Lionel Messi’s longtime teammates, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, both of whom plan to retire when the season ends.

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