Inter Miami secured a dramatic 5-3 victory over FC Cincinnati on Wednesday night at TQL Stadium in front of a sell-out crowd. Lionel Messi recorded his third career MLS hat trick in the high-scoring affair.
The match brought together the two highest-scoring teams in the Eastern Conference, and it delivered exactly as anticipated—a goal-filled thriller that kept fans on the edge of their seats until the final whistle.
Match Summary
Messi opened the scoring in the 24th minute, capitalizing on a mistake from Cincinnati center back Matt Miazga to blast the ball past goalkeeper Roman Celentano. The first half remained relatively quiet until Kévin Denkey converted a penalty kick in the 41st minute to pull one back for the hosts.
The second half erupted into a dramatic back-and-forth battle. Cincinnati came out firing to take a 2-1 lead, but Messi responded just eight minutes later to equalize. Cincinnati's Evander then gave the hosts a 3-2 advantage in the 64th minute with a spectacular upper-90 finish from outside the box.
However, Inter Miami refused to quit, adding three more goals to seal the victory—including a Germán Berterame volley and Messi's third goal of the night in the 89th minute.
Player Report Cards
| Position | Player | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Dayne St. Clair | D- | Got a hand on Denkey's penalty but was overwhelmed in the second half. |
| RB | Ian Fray | B | Returned from injury and contributed effectively to attacks. |
| CB | Gonzalo Luján | C- | More stable than his predecessor but gave up the penalty on Denkey. |
| CB | Micael | C- | Struggled communicating with Reguilón against Cincinnati's creative attackers. |
| LB | Sergio Reguilón | D | Third league start; looked out of sorts early and lost unmarked on second goal. |
| RM | Rodrigo De Paul | B | Agile and explosive; frequently joined the attack. |
| CM | Yannick Bright | C | Taking on more central role but occasionally overwhelmed by Evander. |
| LM | Telasco Segovia | A | Dynamic throughout; combined well and made up for Suárez's lack of mobility. |
| RW | Lionel Messi | A+ | Third consecutive match with at least three goal contributions. |
| ST | Germán Berterame | C | Largely ineffective but scored key volley in closing minutes. |