Inter Miami Triumphs Over Nashville SC to Advance in MLS Playoffs

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Lionel Messi’s exceptional performance in the first half, featuring a brace, propelled Inter Miami to a commanding 4-0 victory over Nashville SC at Chase Stadium on Saturday, allowing the club to advance in the MLS playoffs for the first time in its history.

Tadeo Allende contributed to the triumph with two late goals in the second half, one of which was assisted by Messi.

With this victory, Miami clinched the Round 1 series 2-1, securing a spot in the Eastern Conference semifinals, where they will face the second-seeded FC Cincinnati.

Miami’s coach, Javier Mascherano, praised the team’s performance, stating, “I think the team played almost perfectly. There are always areas for improvement, but we exhibited a very high level in every aspect—intensity, organization, and effective high pressing.”

He expressed gratitude towards the players, emphasizing the significance of the moment: “We understood the stakes today and the importance of advancing the club to a stage it has never reached before, and they did an outstanding job.”

Inter Miami faced a challenge entering the match without Luis Suárez, who was sidelined due to a one-game suspension from the MLS disciplinary committee for violent conduct in the previous game of the series.

Despite this setback, Inter Miami took an early lead in the 10th minute when Messi seized the ball in the final third and skillfully placed a shot into the lower-right corner of the net.

Messi struck again late in the second half, with assistance from Mateo Silvetti, who was chosen to fill Suárez’s position. The 19-year-old Silvetti, hailing from Messi’s hometown of Rosario, Argentina, described the moment as incredibly special: “I might not realize it fully now, but tomorrow it will hit me that I assisted Messi for a goal. It’s an honor to share the field with him and my elite teammates.”

Miami continued to assert its dominance, with Allende scoring two goals in a mere five minutes to guarantee advancement to the next round.

Despite Nashville’s 11 shots during the match, goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo achieved the team’s first clean sheet of the 2025 postseason.

Messi, fresh off winning the Golden Boot in the regular season, concluded the three-game series with five goals. He has now scored 12 goals in just seven career matches against Nashville, the highest against any MLS opponent since joining in July 2023.

As the No. 3 seed in the East, Miami now prepares to face FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium in Ohio for a single-elimination Eastern Conference semifinal. The team had previously struggled to advance past the first round in 2020, 2022, and 2024.

In 2024, during Messi’s first full season with the club, Miami faced an early exit in their opening-round series against Atlanta, despite having won the Supporters’ Shield.

Mascherano acknowledged the weight of last year’s disappointment as the team approached another decisive Game 3: “I’m really happy because the team has given its all, with its mistakes and strengths, throughout the season. We’ve had some very strong performances, and it would have been unfair to be eliminated at this stage.”

He further reflected on the club’s progress: “After what happened last year, there was a palpable tension. I think now we can focus on the future, leaving the past behind. This journey continues for us.”

Saturday’s victory also ensured at least one more game for Messi’s long-time teammates, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, both of whom have announced their intent to retire at the end of the season.

The winner of the Inter Miami-Cincinnati match will face either the top-seeded Philadelphia Union or the fifth-seeded New York City FC in the Eastern Conference final.