Lionel Messi returned to Inter Miami in style. The Argentine star scored two goals in the 4-0 victory against DC United, on the resumption day of the MLS after the international break, four days after playing his last game with the Argentine team.
Luis Suárez also scored a double at the Nu Stadium, where the team led by Cristian González took advantage of their superiority to achieve an important victory in the final stretch of the season.
The Uruguayan striker opened the scoring after three minutes with a left-footed shot from the center of the area that slipped into the upper left corner. In the 39th minute, he extended the lead after receiving a header from Mexican Germán Berterame, who also participated in the first score.
Messi took center stage in the second half. In the 47th minute, he took advantage of an assist from Suárez to gently finish next to goalkeeper Sean Johnson’s left post. Thirteen minutes later, the Argentine captain eluded three defenders and hit a powerful shot to establish the final 4-0.
The world champion reached 23 goals this season and remains at the forefront of the fight for the MLS Golden Boot. In addition, he has 13 assists and continues in the fight to win his third consecutive Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
Miami fights for classification
The victory allowed Inter Miami to reach 49 points, with a balance of 13 wins, 10 draws and five losses, and provisionally ascend to second place in the Eastern Conference, led by Nashville FC with 60 points.
The reigning MLS champion seeks to become the first team to win two consecutive titles since the Los Angeles Galaxy achieved it in 2011 and 2012.
Coach Cristian González highlighted the collective work and the ability of his players to control the timing of the match. The Argentine coach also valued the defensive stability shown by his team, which faced the commitment with David Ayala in the midfield and the Brazilian Casemiro as central defense, due to the absence due to injury of Yannick Bright.
Despite the rout, Inter Miami achieved only its second victory in its last 11 league games and won again at home for the first time since August 29, when it defeated Montreal 7-1.
The Florida team will host New York City FC on Wednesday with the aim of prolonging its recovery and staying in the fight for the qualification spots for the Concacaf Champions Cup.
Griezmann also scores and Chicago comes back
In other matches of the day, Frenchman Antoine Griezmann scored in Orlando City’s 3-2 victory over Columbus Crew. The forward has nine goals in 12 regular season games and helped his team reach 37 points and place itself in seventh position in the East.
For its part, Chicago Fire defeated New York City FC 2-1 with a comeback that culminated in Maren Haile in the 87th minute. The local team played with ten players from the 43rd minute and had the Polish Robert Lewandowski during the 90 minutes. The victory allowed the Fire to reach 14 wins in 2026 and climb to third place in the Eastern Conference.
