Lionel Messi Leads Inter Miami to Leagues Cup Final with Two Goals

Inter Miami pulled off a dramatic comeback against Orlando City, securing a 3-1 victory and a spot in the
Leagues Cup final on Wednesday (August 27, 2025). The hero of the hour was Lionel Messi, who scored two
critical goals late in the game.

After sitting out two previous matches due to a right thigh injury, Messi returned with a vengeance. He
converted a penalty in the 77th minute to level the score at 1-1. Then, in the 88th minute, he teamed up
with Jordi Alba to give Inter Miami the lead.

Telasco Segovia sealed the deal with a third goal in injury time, sending Miami to the final of the Leagues
Cup. This tournament features teams from both Major League Soccer and Mexico’s Liga-MX.

Inter Miami previously won the Leagues Cup in 2023, during Messi’s debut season in MLS.

In the upcoming final, they will face either Los Angeles Galaxy or Seattle Sounders, the current MLS Cup
champions, on Sunday.

Orlando will now compete in a third-place match. The top three teams in this tournament will earn a place
in the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup.

The first half was filled with energy. Marco Pasalic of Croatia silenced the Miami crowd with a goal in
added time.

Luis Muriel delivered a precise pass into the area. Maximiliano Falcon attempted to clear the ball, but it
deflected back to Pasalic, who then fired a left-footed shot into the net.

Inter Miami players protested, claiming the ball hit Pasalic’s arm, but the Video Assistant Referee (VAR)
confirmed the goal.

Orlando, who had defeated their rivals twice earlier this season, continued to challenge Inter Miami in the
second half.

Luis Suarez forced a save from Orlando’s goalkeeper, Pedro Gallese, while Messi faced a wall of defenders
twice in the area.

Inter Miami’s coach, Javier Mascherano, watched from the stands with visible frustration after receiving a
red card in the quarter-final against Tigres UANL.

Orlando lost some momentum in the 59th minute when the referee, Walter Lopez of Guatemala, denied them a
penalty after Sergio Busquets fouled Ivan Angulo.

The turning point came in the 74th minute when substitute Tadeo Allende drew a foul inside the box.

David Brekalo’s challenge, which included a jersey tug on Allende, earned him a second yellow card and an
ejection from the game.

As Brekalo left the field, Messi stepped up to take the penalty. The Argentine superstar sent the ball
past Gallese into the lower right corner of the net.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner then sparked joyous celebrations with his second goal 11 minutes later.

Prior to this match, Orlando had won two games against Miami this season with a combined score of 7-1,
including a 4-1 victory earlier in August.