Inter Miami supervisor Javier Mascherano revealed Lionel Messi had taken trip from coaching with a again criticism through the week earlier than scoring twice within the Herons’ 3-1 dwelling win over Nashville within the 2025 MLS playoffs.
GOOOOL! Asistencia de Lucho ➡️ Cabezazo de Leoooo ⚽️💥 pic.twitter.com/LuVc9vIV79
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) October 25, 2025
Golden boot winner Messi, who signed a brand new contract till the top of the 2028 season this week, headed in Luis Suarez’s cross to open the scoring within the nineteenth minute of the best-of-three tie and slotted them 3-0 in entrance within the 96th minute after goalkeeper Joe Willis spilled a routine supply.
LEOOO 🔥 pic.twitter.com/j5YWP4rceD
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) October 25, 2025
“We’ve received the primary sport, however that is just the start and now it’s time to relaxation properly and begin making ready for Saturday’s [return] match, which will even be a really powerful sport as a result of our opponents have nice gamers who can harm you,” stated Mascherano.
Inter Miami vs Nashville: Messi shines in MLS playoffs
Tadeo Allende headed in Ian Fray’s cross for the second aim within the 62nd minute, with Hany Mukhtar’s spectacular free-kick throughout second-half added time solely a comfort for Nashville.
ALLENDE WITH THE STRIKE 💥⚽️ pic.twitter.com/AaNfv4JYWY
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) October 25, 2025
Messi and his teammates might be cautious of a repeat of their shock exit on the identical stage final season, once they had been ranked first because the Supporters’ Protect winners however had been knocked out by ninth-ranked Atlanta United regardless of successful the opening match between the groups.
Miami completed third within the Jap Convention, whereas Nashville had been sixth. The winners of the tie will meet Cincinnati or Columbus Crew within the semi-finals.
🫡 https://t.co/qXHBRNG5bR pic.twitter.com/rGN2G7sXvd
— Nashville SC (@NashvilleSC) October 25, 2025
Lionel Messi targets, stats
Messi completed on 29 targets for the common season, with solely San Diego’s Anders Dreyer matching the Argentina icon’s tally of 19 assists.
Nashville’s nearest rivals to the 38-year-old had been English ahead Sam Surridge and German midfielder Mukhtar, who had been answerable for a mixed 40 targets through the common season.
Miami received 5-2 at Nashville on the ultimate day of the common season on October 18, together with a Messi hat-trick.
MESSI HAT TRICK 🎩🎩🎩 pic.twitter.com/8UUpchR956
— Main League Soccer (@MLS) October 19, 2025
2025 playoffs: MLS schedule, dates, fixtures
The post-season competitors runs till December 6 2025. The highest 9 groups from the Jap Convention and Western Convention contest the matches, which began with one-off Wild Card matches in every division between the eighth and ninth-placed groups.
The very best-of-three first spherical matches are adopted by one-off semi-finals and finals in every convention and the one MLS Cup match between the winners of every last.
The groups ending greater play at dwelling or play the primary and, if required, third matches at dwelling within the best-of-three fixtures.
The best-ranked finalist within the total Supporters’ Protect desk will host the MLS Cup, which is able to happen on December 6 at a time to be confirmed.
The total schedule may be discovered on the MLS web site.
MLS playoffs 2025 standings
Jap Convention
- Philadelphia Union
- Cincinnati
- Inter Miami
- Charlotte
- New York Metropolis
- Nashville
- Columbus
- Chicago
- Orlando
Western Convention
- San Diego
- Vancouver
- Los Angeles
- Minnesota
- Seattle
- Austin
- Dallas
- Portland
- Actual Salt Lake
MLS Cup 2025: Lionel Messi, Inter Miami fixtures
The kindest-looking run for Miami by rating might pit them towards Columbus within the semifinals and eighth-placed Orlando within the convention last, though they misplaced by three targets dwelling and away to Metropolis within the MLS earlier than beating them 3-1 at dwelling within the Leagues Cup semifinals.
watch Nashville vs Inter Miami: Reside stream, TV channel
Reside protection of the MLS playoffs is obtainable via the MLS Season Cross on Apple TV+.
Within the US, a subscription prices $14.99 a month or $69 a season. Present Apple TV+ subscribers pay $12.99 per thirty days or $59 a season.
MLS Cup winners by yr
- 2024: LA Galaxy 2-1 New York Purple Bulls
- 2023: Columbus 2-1 LAFC
- 2022: LAFC 3-3 Philadelphia Union (3-0 pen)
- 2021: Portland 1-1 New York Metropolis (4-2 pen)
- 2020: Columbus 3-0 Seattle
- 2019: Seattle 3-1 Toronto
- 2018: Atlanta 2-0 Portland
- 2017: Toronto 2-0 Seattle
- 2016: Seattle 0-0 Toronto (5-4 pen)
- 2015: Portland 2-1 Columbus
- 2014: LA Galaxy 2-1 New England Revolution (AET)
- 2013: Sporting Kansas Metropolis 1-1 Actual Salt Lake (7-6 pen)
- 2012: LA Galaxy 3-1 Houston Dynamo
- 2011: LA Galaxy 1-0 Houston
- 2010: Colorado Rapids 2-1 Dallas (AET)
- 2009: Actual Salt Lake 1-1 LA Galaxy (5-4 pen)
- 2008: Columbus 3-1 New York Purple Bulls
- 2007: Houston 2-1 New England
- 2006: Houston 1-1 New England (4-3 pen)
- 2005: LA Galaxy 1-0 New England (AET)
- 2004: DC United 3-2 Kansas Metropolis Wizards
- 2003: San Jose Earthquakes 4-2 Chicago
- 2002: LA Galaxy 1-0 New England (AET)
- 2001: San Jose 2-1 LA Galaxy (AET)
- 2000: Kansas Metropolis Wizards 1-0 Chicago
- 1999: DC 2-0 LA Galaxy
- 1998: Chicago 2-0 DC
- 1997: DC 2-1 Colorado
- 1996: DC 3-2 LA Galaxy (AET)