FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – All it took was five minutes for Lionel Messi to make his mark at the start of Inter Miami’s 2025 Major League Soccer season.
About 95 minutes later, Messi shined again, saving Inter Miami’s night.
Messi found new teammate Telasco Segovia, trailing on his right side, and delivered his second assist of the game in the 100th minute to help Inter Miami escape with a 2-2 draw at home against New York City FC on Saturday at Chase Stadium.
“He’s the soul of this team, you saw this on the pitch. He’s like a kid playing, and he doesn’t want to lose,” Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said of Messi, his former teammate with Barcelona and Argentina.
“So, for us, it’s a big, big advantage. We need to keep him with this spirit because it’s not just what he does on the pitch. It’s what he translates to his teammates, and all that he does with his 37 years. … It’s magnificent.”
It was an ugly affair for Inter Miami in the club’s first home match of the year until Messi’s heroics. Inter Miami played with just 10 men since the 26th minute after an early ejection, and trailed 2-1 since the 55th minute.
It was also Inter Miami’s second match of the week after playing in subfreezing temperatures at Sporting Kansas City in the first leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup first-round series on Wednesday. Inter Miami has played seven matches in 35 days to start the year.
Inter Miami pleaded with MLS to push Saturday’s match to Sunday, Mascherano said, after the SKC match was delayed from Tuesday to Wednesday. The match started at 7:30 p.m. ET, five hours later than its original start time.
Inter Miami’s Fafa Picault and Marcelo Weigandt left the match early due to muscle injuries. Luis Suarez and Benjamin Cremaschi, who got a yellow card in the 41st minute, were substituted out early in the second half for fresher legs. Inter Miami was already without midfielder Yannick Bright (thigh), goalie Drake Callender (adductor), and defender David Martínez (ankle).
“Less than 72 hours ago, we played at minus-24 degrees. And today, they ran like horses,” Mascherano said.
Messi started the match turning a set play into a dynamic assist, finding 21-year-old Inter Miami defender Toto Aviles in front of the net for a goal in the fifth minute for an early 1-0 lead.
Messi tapped his corner kick to David Ruiz, before getting the ball back. Messi found Jordi Alba just outside the penalty arc, and Alba returned the ball to Messi cutting inside the penalty box. Messi tapped his pass with his left foot to Aviles, who sent it into the bottom-left corner of the net.
About 20 minutes later, however, Aviles received a red card and was ejected for pulling down NYCFC’s Alonso Martínez.
Mitja Ilenič scored in the 26th minute shortly after the ejection to tie it, before Martínez scored in the 55th minute to give NYCFC a 2-1 lead over Inter Miami.
Before halftime, Messi, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez were pleading with referees at midfield, while Mascherano argued on the sidelines.
NYCFC’s Strahinja Tanasijević fouled Suarez shortly after he picked up a yellow card for fouling Busquets. Tanasijević, however, did not pick up a second yellow card, which would’ve led to his ejection and both sides playing the rest of the match with 10 players.
Luckily, Messi was able to recreate the magic he did Wednesday, when he scored the only goal in Inter Miami’s 1-0 win at Sporting Kansas City.
Before his second assist Saturday, Messi missed a free kick in the 71st minute and received a yellow card in the 91st minute of the match. He also appeared visibly upset after the game. He played another 105 minutes, after playing all 90 minutes at Kansas City.
Inter Miami felt the effects of the quick turnaround during their home opener. And they have another game in three days, hosting SKC in the second leg of their Champions Cup series on Tuesday.
Messi’s usage for the upcoming match could be in question, but his prowess isn’t.
“He’s the greatest — there’s nothing else to say,” Inter Miami defender Noah Allen said. “He’s the leader, and the captain, and he showed it today.”
Inter Miami vs. NYCFC highlights
Telasco Segovia goal: Inter Miami 2, New York City FC 2
Alonso Martinez goal: New York City FC 2, Inter Miami 1
Inter Miami has fallen behind at home in the second half. NYCFC’s Alonso Martinez has scored in the 55th minute to help his side take a 2-1 lead.
Jordi Alba’s poor pass backwards directly to Martinez was the catalyst to Inter Miami’s deficit.
Mitja Ilenič goal: Inter Miami 1, New York City FC 1
New York City FC scored with some trickery: Santi Rodriguez tapped a free kick to Mitja Ilenič, who Inter Miami did not address as he lined up to the left of their defensive line. Ilenič quickly scored in the 26th minute, and this match is tied.
The penalty opportunity was caused by Inter Miami’s Toto Aviles, who immediately received a red card for tackling NYCFC’s Alonso Martínez.
Now, Inter Miami is tied and must play the rest of the match with just 10 players instead of all 11 starters.
Toto Aviles goal: Inter Miami 1, New York City FC 0
Lionel Messi has already left his mark five minutes into this match with an assist to Toto Aviles, who scored in the fifth minute.
Here’s the sequence: Messi to Jordi Alba, back to Messi, then to Aviles, the 21-year-old Argentine, for the score.
How to watch Inter Miami vs. New York City FC on TV, live stream?
The match begins at 7:30 p.m. ET (8:30 p.m. in Argentina), and will be streamed on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.
Is Messi playing tonight? Inter Miami, NYCFC starting lineups
Yes, Messi is in the starting lineup for Inter Miami against NYCFC.
Inter Miami vs. New York City FC match preview
Although Inter Miami had the best regular season in league history, winning the 2024 MLS Supporters Shield, they were upended in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs by Atlanta United in December. NYCFC reached the conference finals, losing to the New York Red Bulls, after finishing sixth in the Eastern Conference last season.
It will also be a matchup between first-time MLS coaches. Inter Miami is led by Javier Mascherano, who played at Barcelona with Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. NYCFC hired Pascal Jansen, who previously coached in the Netherlands and Hungary.
Although Saturday is the first match of the MLS season, several teams like Inter Miami have already begun play this year in the Concacaf Champions Cup tournament. Messi scored the only goal in Inter Miami’s 1-0 win at Sporting Kansas City in frigid temperatures in the first leg of their first-round series. They’ll meet again on Tuesday for the second leg at Inter Miami.
As a result, Inter Miami won’t be at full strength and some players could play limited minutes. The Inter Miami-NYCFC match time was pushed back five hours to account for the postponement of the SKC match from Tuesday to Wednesday due to snow.
“We know we have two very important games coming up,” Mascherano said Friday. “One is the start of the season, at our home, with our fans. You always want to make a statement in your opening game to the fans and the rest of the league. And, obviously, we know the importance of the game Tuesday. That’s why we must evaluate everything and then decide the lineup.”
MLS Matchday 1: What are this weekend’s games?
(All games available on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.)
Saturday
- Los Angeles FC vs. Minnesota United FC, 4:45 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Atlanta United vs. CF Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET
- FC Cincinnati vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Columbus Crew vs. Chicago Fire FC, 7:30 p.m. ET
- D.C. United vs. Toronto FC, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Orlando City SC vs. Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Austin FC vs. Sporting Kansas City, 8:30 p.m. ET
- Houston Dynamo FC vs. FC Dallas, 8:30 p.m. ET
- Nashville SC vs. New England Revolution, 8:30 p.m. ET
- St. Louis City SC vs. Colorado Rapids, 8:30 p.m. ET
- San Jose Earthquakes vs. Real Salt Lake, 10:30 p.m. ET
- Seattle Sounders FC vs. Charlotte FC, 10:30 p.m. ET
Sunday
- Portland Timbers vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC, 4 p.m. ET
- LA Galaxy vs. San Diego FC, 7 p.m. ET
‘WE’RE BREAKING GLASS’: Can MLS, Apple TV capitalize on soccer’s cultural momentum in US?
How to watch MLS games on TV?
This year, MLS and Apple have partnered with several companies so fans can readily access MLS games. DirecTV and Xfinity users can buy MLS Season Pass through their providers. T-Mobile customers can receive complimentary access to MLS Season Pass for the season. Android users can find MLS Season Pass in the Google Play Store. MLS games have also been available on Apple TV+ via Amazon Prime Video since last October. Simply put, you don’t need to have an Apple device to access MLS games.
You can read more here about the push MLS and Apple are making to reach new viewers here.
Inter Miami coach Javier Masherano faces tall task leading Messi
Messi will be coached by his former Barcelona and Argentina teammate Javier Mascherano during Inter Miami’s 2025 season. Despite the inherit pressure to help the club reach new heights, Mascherano is taking his new job in stride. It certainly helps having Messi and three other teammates in Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba by his side.
“I’m not under pressure. I’m here, trying to do my best, trying to help the players to have success,” Mascherano said during Inter Miami’s preseason. “We are happy because we are doing the right things. We see on the pitch that we are working (well). It’s important going forward, keeping the same mentality we have now.”
MLS commissioner Don Garber shares excitement for 2025, 2026
Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber believes the next two years will be a pivotal stretch for soccer in the United States. The 2025 MLS season marks the league’s 30th season. The FIFA Club World Cup will be played later this summer in the United States, and the FIFA World Cup next year is co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
‘The World Cup is going to raise the attention of the sport in ways that nobody ever dreamed of,’ Garber told USA TODAY Sports. ‘And I tell people who don’t understand soccer or MLS, they have no idea how big the World Cup is going to be. … Just wait, it’s going to be epic.’