Lionel Messi found the back of the net twice and recorded an assist as Inter Miami mounted a dramatic comeback to defeat Cincinnati 5-3 on Wednesday evening, with German Berterame netting the decisive goal in the 84th minute.
The match turned in Miami’s favor during the final stages when Mateo Silvetti evened the score at 3-3 in the 79th minute, sparking a late surge that propelled the Herons (7-2-4, 25 points) to their fifth consecutive away victory in MLS play.
Both Messi and Silvetti recorded assists during the comeback, while Rodrigo de Paul contributed two assists throughout the evening as Miami once again emerged triumphant in a repeat of their 4-0 victory over Cincinnati in the 2025 Eastern Conference semifinals.
Cincinnati (4-5-4, 16 points) received strong performances from Kevin Denkey, who notched his eighth goal along with two assists, and Evander, who added his seventh goal with a spectacular 64th-minute strike that gave the hosts a 3-2 advantage.
Pavel Bucha also found the scoresheet for the home team, but Cincinnati’s six-game unbeaten streak came to an end as they allowed three or more goals for the fifth occasion in nine matches.
The equalizing goal came after Messi delivered the pass to Silvetti following a Cincinnati mistake in their defensive zone, finding the 20-year-old positioned on the left side of the penalty area. Silvetti showcased his skill by cutting back inside and threading a low shot through defenders into the bottom right corner.
Five minutes later, Berterame secured his fourth goal of the campaign to put the Herons ahead.
Messi played a key role once again, delivering a diagonal free kick toward the top of the 6-yard box that appeared to be an easy save for Cincinnati goalkeeper Roman Celentano. However, center back Andrei Chirila collided with his own keeper, causing Celentano to drop the ball and leaving Berterame with a simple tap-in to an empty net.
In the 89th minute, Messi nearly secured his third MLS hat trick when he met Silvetti’s cross from the left wing and fired a sliding shot that struck the inside of the right post. The ball rebounded off Celentano and crossed the goal line, but the goal was ultimately credited as an own-goal.
Messi opened the scoring in the 24th minute after Cincinnati’s first major mistake, applying pressure to center back Matt Miazga and deflecting his poorly chosen pass into the open goal when Miazga should have simply cleared the ball for a Miami corner kick.
His second goal brought the match level at 2-2 in the 55th minute through a more traditional finish, connecting with de Paul’s cross at the penalty spot following combination play that also featured Luis Suarez.
