Inter Miami picked up their first win at Nu Stadium on Sunday, defeating the visiting Portland Timbers 2–0, but the home crowd was eerily quiet until the final minutes.
With supporters' groups frustrated by recent results and a lack of recognition from the club since the stadium move from Fort Lauderdale to Miami, many stayed silent for the majority of the match. They did not stand or wave flags except to celebrate when a goal was scored, with the Portland Timbers Army evidently louder and more audible through the international broadcast.
On the pitch, the Herons gave their fans many reasons to cheer. Chief among them was another outstanding performance from Lionel Messi, who scored the opening goal after a chance-creating move from Telasco Segovia. Messi later completed a skillful dribble to assist Germán Berterame's 2–0 goal to end halftime up a pair of goals.
The win marked Miami's first at home since opening the new stadium early last month, having previously played to two losses and two draws in the first four games at the downtown Miami venue. It also brought them six points from a possible six this week, after beating FC Cincinnati 5–3 in midweek action.
Inter Miami Report Card vs. Portland Timbers
GK: Dayne St. Clair — A: The Canadian kept his second clean sheet of the season and first at home with Miami, making four saves while also acting as the initial piece in offensive transition.
RB: Ian Fray — C: Ian Fray has dealt with plenty of injuries throughout his career and had to leave the match at halftime with discomfort.
CB: Gonzalo Luján — B-: Maintaining his starting role over Maxi Falcón, Luján played a key role in shutting down Kevin Kelsy and ensuring many of Portland's attacks came from outside the penalty area.
CB: Micael — B-: The Brazilian center back is still developing a partnership with his left back, Sergio Regulión, but impressed in neutralizing many of the Timbers attackers.
LB: Sergio Reguilón — D: Signed as a replacement for Jordi Alba, the former Premier League and La Liga fullback has not stood out as of yet. While he scored his first goal in last week's win over Toronto FC, he was unable to muster impressive transition moments against Portland.
RM: Rodrigo De Paul — B: Rodrigo De Paul has made every effort to make the Argentina World Cup squad, and Sunday saw him impress once again, creating a game-high five chances while helping to shut down both Antony and Kristoffer Velde.
CM: Yannick Bright — A: By far Miami's most consistent player not named Lionel Messi, Bright dominated the midfield battle against Portland DP David da Costa through his 82 minutes.
LM: Telasco Segovia — B+: Dynamic and elusive down the left flank, the Venezuela international set up Lionel Messi for the opening goal and finished the night credited with three shots.
RW: Lionel Messi — A+: What else is there to say? The 38-year-old scored a perfect finish and then stunned with a skillful dribble for an assist. The 2022 World Cup winner is up to 12 goals and five assists in 13 games this season and is already a runaway favorite to win his third straight MLS MVP award.
ST: Germán Berterame — B+: Germán Berterame still struggled to finish throughout the night, but found the back of the net off of Messi's brilliance, bringing him to five goals and two assists on the season.
LW: Luis Suárez — D-: The Uruguay legend has had some standout moments in 2026, but looked off the pace for the second game in a row, lasting only an uneventful 66 minutes.
SUB: Facundo Mura (46' for Fray) — C+: Mura stepped in and was active down the right flank, while also ensuring the Herons saw out the clean sheet.