Lionel Messi delivered another masterclass on Wednesday, scoring twice and setting up another as Inter Miami stormed past New York City FC 4-0 to clinch a place in the MLS Cup playoffs.
The Argentine superstar moved to the top of the league’s scoring charts with 24 goals in 23 matches, surpassing LAFC’s Denis Bouanga.
Luis Suárez, back from a three-game suspension for spitting during the Leagues Cup final, converted a penalty to make it 3-0, while Baltazar Rodríguez opened the scoring with his first-half strike.
Miami endured a shaky start at a rain-soaked Citi Field — the baseball home of the New York Mets — but seized control late. Rodríguez put them ahead in the 43rd minute after Messi’s pinpoint through ball, before Messi doubled the lead midway through the second half with a trademark solo finish, chipping over keeper Matt Freese.
After Suárez scored from the spot, Messi capped the night with a precise angled strike into the bottom corner in the 86th minute, sealing a dominant win.
New York had threatened early, with Thiago Martins forcing a save, Aiden O’Neill and Nicolás Fernández both going close, and Messi himself denied by Freese before halftime. But their missed chances proved costly.
The victory leaves Miami third in the Eastern Conference, five points behind leaders Philadelphia with two games in hand, keeping alive hopes of the Supporters’ Shield.
Messi, now on a run of three straight games with both a goal and an assist, is firmly in the race for the 2025 MLS MVP award as he gears up for his second postseason in North America.
