Messi’s double sends Inter Miami past Orlando into Leagues Cup final
Messi’s double sends Inter Miami past Orlando into Leagues Cup final
Lionel Messi scored twice late on Wednesday as Inter Miami rallied to defeat Orlando City 3-1 and advance to the Leagues Cup final.
Back in action after sitting out two matches with a right thigh injury, Messi converted a penalty in the 77th minute to draw Miami level at 1-1, before linking up with Jordi Alba to give the hosts the lead in the 88th minute.
Telasco Segovia then added a stoppage-time goal to seal the victory, sending Miami back to the final of the Leagues Cup, the joint competition between Major League Soccer and Mexico’s Liga MX.
Inter Miami last won the tournament in 2023, Messi’s debut season in Major League Soccer.
“We are at a loss for words when it comes to discussing Leo (Messi),” said Javier Morales, the Inter assistant coach who was at the helm as Javier Mascherano watched from the stands, serving a red card suspension.
“He trained only two or three days, and then he played 90 minutes, and the way he played created situations and scored goals.”
Messi, who had played once since he was injured on August 2, admitted he felt some trepidation.
“I prepared to be in this match because I knew how important it was, against a very tough opponent who had beaten us in both games we faced this year,” he said. “The truth is in the first half I felt a little scared, but in the second I loosened up a bit more.”
Miami will travel to Seattle for Sunday’s final after the Sounders beat reigning MLS Cup champions Los Angeles Galaxy 2-0 in California.
Goals from Pedro de la Vega in the seventh minute and Osaze Rosario in the 57th lifted the Sounders, who held on with 10 men after Nouhou Tolo was sent off in the 83rd minute for a sliding tackle on Gabriel Pec.
The finalists are both assured of berths in the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup, with the winner of the third-place playoff between Orlando and Los Angeles also punching their ticket to the regional tournament.
In a high-energy first half in Fort Lauderdale, Croatia’s Marco Pasalic silenced the crowd at Inter’s Chase Stadium with a goal in first-half added time.
Luis Muriel slipped a pass into the area, and Maximiliano Falcon’s attempt to clear it instead saw the ball deflect back to Pasalic, who rifled a left-footed shot into the net.
Inter players appealed, saying the ball hit Pasalic’s arm, but VAR confirmed the goal.
Orlando, who had defeated their cross-state rivals twice earlier in the season, continued to frustrate Inter Miami in the second half. Luis Suárez tested goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, while Messi found openings in the box but was quickly crowded out by defenders.
Momentum Shift
The tide began to turn in the 59th minute when Guatemalan referee Walter Lopez waved away Orlando’s penalty appeal after Sergio Busquets brought down Ivan Angulo.
Miami’s breakthrough came in the 74th minute when substitute Tadeo Allende was fouled inside the box. David Brekalo, who tugged at Allende’s jersey, received a second yellow card for the challenge and was sent off. Messi stepped up to convert the resulting penalty, firing past Gallese into the bottom-right corner.
Eleven minutes later, the Argentine added his second, sparking jubilant celebrations among Miami fans.
Orlando coach Oscar Pareja expressed frustration with the officiating, particularly Brekalo’s dismissal, insisting the foul “wasn’t worthy of a yellow.” But Miami coach Javier Morales countered that it was “clear the defender held Tadeo,” arguing the substitute would have likely scored without the infringement.
