Messi scores twice as Inter Miami routs NYCFC, clinching playoff spot

Inter Miami clinched a playoff berth with a 4-0 victory over New York City FC on Wednesday night at Citi Field, as Lionel Messi scored twice and added an assist. The win moved Miami to 16-6-7 and kept the club atop MLS with a league-high 64 goals this season, while extending its run of high-scoring performances to five of its last six matches.

Messi's first-half assist helped Miami open the scoring, and he then supplied two second-half goals to reach 37 goal contributions on the season. He became the first MLS player to post at least 35 goal contributions in consecutive seasons, and his two goals in the second half gave him eight multi-goal games this season, a mark reached by only a handful of MLS players in league history. In the 74th minute, he chipped Matt Freese after a breakaway to make it 2-0, with Óscar Ustari posting several key saves in the minutes that followed. Luis Suárez converted a penalty in the 83rd minute, and Messi added another three minutes later for the final 4-0, a performance that left Messi with 37 goal contributions on the season.

Inter Miami goalkeeper Óscar Ustari recorded his sixth shutout of the season as New York City FC pressed to find a breakthrough in the opening half. NYCFC had two bright moments early, with Thiago Martins left unmarked on a corner and heading a ball straight at Ustari, and Nicolás Fernández cutting back a defender in the box and forcing a near-miss that hit the post before halftime.

New York City FC’s three-game winning streak ended in defeat, and Inter Miami extended its hold on MLS’s top scoring club as Messi continued to anchor the club’s playoff push. The performance underscored Miami’s resilience and Messi’s recurring impact, as the league’s goals leader rode into the postseason with a dominant display against a familiar rival.