Overview
- Lionel Messi set up Daniel Pintér’s 21st-minute goal and curled a left-footed strike into the corner in the 26th minute to give Inter Miami a 2-1 lead in a 2-2 draw at Subaru Park on Wednesday night.
- The goal was Messi’s first since Jorge Messi died in early August and moved his 2026 MLS totals to 13 goals and nine assists in 17 league appearances.
- The result ended Miami’s three-game losing streak across competitions but extended a multi-match winless stretch that has left the reigning MLS Cup champions chasing form in the Eastern Conference.
- The match finished in a stoppage-time off-the-ball melee that produced red cards for Yannick Bright and 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan and prompted an MLS disciplinary review that could bring suspensions or fines.
- Coach Guillermo Hoyos warned about the toll of a congested August schedule on player recovery while Philadelphia’s interim coach Ryan Richter saw his team continue a points surge powered by young players such as Cavan Sullivan and 18-year-old Neil Pierre.