CINCINNATI — Inter Miami CF triumphed over FC Cincinnati with a score of 4-0 at TQL Stadium on Sunday night, marking their first advance to the Eastern Conference final in the club’s history.
Captain Lionel Messi opened the scoring with a header in the 19th minute, receiving a well-placed pass from Mateo Silvetti. Messi later assisted Silvetti for a stunning second goal, as Silvetti struck the ball fiercely into the lower right corner from the left flank.
Tadeo Allende extended Miami’s advantage with two goals in the 62nd and 74th minutes, both set up by Messi, to solidify the victory.
With this impressive performance, Messi set an MLS playoff record with 12 goal contributions (six goals and six assists) in a single postseason.
Luis Suárez, who missed Miami’s final Round One match against Nashville due to suspension, came off the bench in the second half, replacing Allende for the closing minutes.
In contrast, Inter Miami struggled against FC Cincinnati during the 2025 MLS regular season, suffering a 3-0 defeat on the road and managing only a 0-0 draw at home when both Jordi Alba and Messi were sidelined for the latter match.
Nonetheless, coach Javier Mascherano asserted that Miami was well-prepared for the challenge on Sunday, and Messi’s performance proved his coach right in front of a packed crowd of 25,513 in Cincinnati.
Miami will next face New York City FC, which secured a win over the Philadelphia Union later on Sunday, at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on November 29.
FC Cincinnati finished the regular season with the second-best overall record in MLS, just behind Philadelphia, after winning the Supporters Shield in 2024, following a prior defeat to the Columbus Crew in last year’s conference finals.