Inter Miami have no problem scoring goals. On Sunday, the Herons played to a thrilling 6–4 win over last-place Philadelphia Union to secure their second-ever win at Nu Stadium, amid a torrential downpour in south Florida.
The match got off to a blistering start, with Philadelphia's Milan Iloski beating Miami's Dayne St. Clair in the fourth minute, taking advantage of a defensive breakdown. Minutes later, St. Clair surrendered a misjudged penalty, and Miami found themselves behind 2–0 by the 10th minute.
The struggles wouldn't last long. Lionel Messi began to charge forward and lead Miami's attack, first setting up Germán Berterame for a tap-in goal, his first of two in the victory. Luis Suárez netted a hat-trick as well, highlighted by an acrobatic finish, as he chested the ball to himself off Ian Fray's cross, before smashing a shot past Union backstop Andre Blake.
Rodrigo De Paul scored late, sealing the victory on a counterattack for the 6–4 win.
The 4–4 first half marked the first time that eight goals had been scored in the opening period of an MLS match, with the final 10 combined goals falling just short of the match record, which sits at 11 combined in a single game.
Major storyline: The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner abruptly left the match with discomfort in his leg in the 73rd minute, clutching his hamstring. He quickly walked towards the locker room for medical treatment, throwing doubt into his availability for the 2026 World Cup in less than 20 days.
Inter Miami Report Card vs. Philadelphia Union (4-3-3)
GK: Dayne St. Clair — C- The Canadian had troubles early in the match, but finished the night with seven saves and was arguably the best defensive player for Inter Miami, keeping the team in the match.
RB: Ian Fray — B Ian Fray continued to take on significant minutes with Inter Miami and was dynamic down the wing, leading to his assist on Suárez's acrobatic finish on the 3–2 goal.
CB: Gonzalo Luján — C- Luján continued to grow into his defensive responsibilities with Inter Miami, but struggled to keep up with 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan and the other Philadelphia attackers.
CB: Micael — F The Brazilian center back had one of his worst games in an Inter Miami kit, struggling to keep up with Iloski, while other attackers simply side-stepped past him.
LB: Sergio Reguilón — D Sergio Reguilón's presence with Inter Miami has been underwhelming, and Sunday was no different. On a night where attacking potential was wide open, he failed to make any significant contribution.
RM: Rodrigo De Paul — A Rodrigo De Paul has been putting in double-workout days with Lionel Messi in preparation for the World Cup and looks as fit as ever. Having recently celebrated his 32nd birthday, the Argentine veteran is in stellar form and scored the eventual winning goal.
CM: Yannick Bright — B The most consistent Miami player of 2026, Bright jumped into the attack throughout Sunday, but failed to provide any real threat. However, his nine defensive contributions were vital to bringing some semblance of control to the chaos.
LM: Telasco Segovia — D Telasco Segovia had a performance to forget, struggling to make any attacking inroads and being beaten several times by Iloski and Sullivan.
RW: Lionel Messi — B In a 10-goal game, it's shocking to see Messi left out of the goal scoring. Yet, that's exactly what happened on Sunday, even though he picked up a pair of assists before leaving the match with an injury.
ST: Germán Berterame — B+ Germán Berterame is still in the mix for the Mexico World Cup roster and scored a brace, providing crucial support to the team's attack.