The match at Nashville was exciting from the start. Despite being forced to play for most of the first half, Inter Miami still opened the scoring in the 34th minute when Messi received the ball from Jordi Alba and then fired a dangerous left-footed shot that defeated goalkeeper Joe Willis. The home team then rose strongly, scoring 2 goals in 43 and 45+6 minutes to lead 2-1 before the break.
In the second half, the Argentine superstar exploded fiercely. In the 63rd minute, he successfully converted the penalty to an equalizer of 2-2, before Baltasar Rodriguez and Messi scored to increase the score to 4-2 for the away team. In the last minute of injury time, Telasco Segovia sealed a 5-2 victory after an assist from Messi.
With this hat-trick, Messi ended the 2025 MLS Regular season with impressive form, taking Inter Miami to finish 5th in the Eastern Conference and qualifying for the MLS Cup.
This result helped the Argentine star's team qualify for the Eastern region's play-offs and reunite with Nashville - the opponent who lost to them in the final round.
According to the draw results, Inter Miami (seed No. 3) will host Nashville (seed No. 6) in the first round. In the same Eastern region, Philadelphia Union - champion of Supporters' Shield this season will meet the winner of the Wild Card match between Chicago Fire and Orlando City, while FC Cincinnati will face Columbus crew, while Charlotte will face New York City.
The Wild Card matches will take place on October 23, deciding the final ticket to round 1. This phase is organized in the "best-of-three" format (three-match, two wins), starting from October 25 to November 10. The teams with higher rankings on the rankings are eligible to play at home in the opening match and the decisive match if necessary.
If they continue to maintain their current form, Messi's Inter Miami can go a long way. The Argentine superstar not only helped the Florida team fly high in the rankings but also took the lead in the 2025 MLS goalscoring list, consolidating his position as the greatest striker in the club's history.
The regional semi-finals are scheduled to take place in late November, while the 2025 MLS Cup final will end the season on December 7.
