Video: Lionel Messi scores stunning header and records hat-trick of assists in Inter Miami’s MLS East semi-final vs. FC Cincinnati

InterMiami visited FC Cincinnati for the MLS Eastern Conference semi-finals at TQL Stadium, with a spot in the final on the line. After a perfect cross from Mateo Silvetti, Lionel Messi opened the scoring with a brilliant header before adding two great assists to extend the Herons’ lead.

I’m trying to build from the back, Jordi Alba intercepted the ball in midfield, sparking Inter Miami’s deadly counterattack. The Spaniard found Messi in the center and the captain quickly switched to Silvetti on the left wing. The 19-year-old delivered an accurate cross into the box, and With Messi rushing in, the Argentina star sent a powerful header into the net in the 19th minute. With that, the legend put Inter Miami ahead, reviving hopes of reaching its first conference final.

Messi’s goal came at a crucial moment, like this Inter Miami struggled to score even a single goal Cincinnati during the MLS regular season. On July 16, the Herons suffered a heavy 3–0 defeat at TQL Stadium, and on the 26th, with Messi and Alba suspended after missing the MLS All-Star Game, the match ended in a scoreless draw.

Messi and Silvetti were once again the key players for Inter Miami, this time with the roles reversed. In the 57th minute, when FC Cincinnati made the first substitution of the match, the Herons won the ball back and Messi quickly switched to Silvetti. The 19-year-old scored first time with a brilliant finish to extend the lead to 2-0, scoring his first goal in the Herons shirt.

In the 62nd minute, Messi dropped deep to help defensively, depriving Evander of the ball and unleashing a deadly counter-attack. Silvetti handed the ball back to Messi from his own half played a perfect through ball to Tadeo Allende. The striker raced in alone at Roman Celentano and made no mistake, making it 3-0 for the visitors.

The game was almost repeated in the 74th minute when Messi, positioned in Inter Miami’s half, delivered a perfectly weighted trivela pass into space for Allende to go 1-on-1 again. While maintaining his excellent finishing form, the number 21 of the Herons did not miss, extending the lead to 4-0.

Inter Miami’s heavy dependence on Messi

In a 2025 season in which he has participated in five different tournaments with Inter Miami and turned 38 on June 24, Messi’s level and influence show no signs of decline. In a year where he is favored to win back-to-back MLS MVP awards, he scored the 896th goal of his career for an Inter Miami team that often relies on him.

In the last seven games Inter Miami has scored 25 goals, and Messi has played a direct role in 20 of them. Between the end of the regular season and the MLS play-offs, the Argentine star has found the net 11 times and provided nine assists, a clear sign of how decisive he continues to be for the team.