NEW YORK (Sept. 23, 2025, BN24) — Lionel Messi put on a dazzling display in Queens on Wednesday night, scoring twice and adding an assist to lead Inter Miami to a 4-0 victory over New York City FC at Citi Field.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner was at his clinical best, drawing loud roars from a crowd that had packed the stadium largely to see him. Messi orchestrated the attack from the start, setting up Baltasar Rodriguez with a perfectly timed through ball for Miami’s opening goal in the first half.
NYCFC battled to stay in the match and had opportunities of its own, but Miami’s firepower proved decisive after the break. Messi doubled the lead in the 74th minute with a delicate chip over goalkeeper Matt Freese, sparking a late scoring surge. Nine minutes later, Luis Suárez converted a penalty to make it 3-0, before Messi struck again in the 86th with a slaloming solo finish that sealed the emphatic win.
The scoreline suggested Miami had controlled the match from start to finish, but much of the contest was tightly contested until Messi’s brilliance opened the floodgates. For Inter Miami, the victory underscored what the team can achieve with Messi at full flight and Suárez back from suspension.
With just five games left in the regular season, Miami’s ambitions remain high. Messi’s latest performance bolstered his push for the league’s MVP award, while the team showed it can overwhelm even strong opponents like NYCFC when its stars are in rhythm.
The Herons will now look to carry that momentum into the final stretch of the campaign, confident that with Messi leading the way, few in Major League Soccer can keep pace.
