Inter

Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami will host Vancouver in the MLS Cup final after a dominant victory against New York City FC.

Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano hailed Lionel Messi as “extraordinary” after the Argentinian superstar steered the club into their first Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup final with a 5-1 thrashing of New York City FC on Saturday.

A Tadeo Allende hat-trick and goals from Mateo Silvetti and Telasco Segovia sent a revitalised Miami roaring into the championship game next Saturday at their home field in Fort Lauderdale.

While Messi did not get on the scoresheet, the 38-year-old provided a crucial, classy assist for Miami’s third goal scored by Silvetti that killed off the game as New York chased an equaliser.

“Leo has accustomed us to the extraordinary,” Mascherano said of his former Barcelona and Argentina teammate.

“He’s someone extraordinary, someone we’ll never see again. Today, perhaps we’re surprised that he didn’t score, but he gave us peace of mind with the third goal, an assist that only he can see. He practically sealed the game.”

Miami will host the Vancouver Whitecaps in next Saturday’s MLS showpiece.

Vancouver, spearheaded by former Germany and Bayern Munich star Thomas Muller, advanced to the final with a superb 3-1 victory over San Diego in California on Saturday to claim the Western Conference crown.

Messi and his teammates will head into the final bristling with confidence after another ruthless, high-scoring demolition job that followed on from their 4-0 drubbing of FC Cincinnati in the previous round.

Allende – who scored twice in the victory over Cincinnati – was once again the focal point of the Miami attack.

The 26-year-old Argentinian forward opened the scoring in the 14th minute after cleverly springing the New York offside trap and then headed in a superb second to make it 2-0.

New York rallied back with a headed Justin Haak goal in the 37th minute and came within a whisker of an equaliser when Julian Fernandez forced a fine one-handed save from Miami goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo in the 66th minute.

That near-miss was to prove crucial.

Miami immediately swept upfield and a flowing move saw Rodrigo De Paul and Jordi Alba combine before Messi slipped a pass to Silvetti who rifled home to make it 3-1.

‘Unbreakable’

Segovia then eliminated any doubt with Miami’s fourth goal in the 83rd minute before Allende completed his hat-trick a minute from time to prompt wild celebrations.

The victory leaves Miami just one win away from completing a remarkable transformation after a season that appeared to be unravelling in disarray earlier in the campaign, following a string of defeats.

“We strengthened as a group and reached the end of the season with a brotherhood within the team, where everyone pulls together, and it doesn’t matter who starts,” Mascherano said. “We are a group, and the power of a group is unbreakable.”

Meanwhile, Vancouver – who thumped Miami 5-1 on aggregrate when they met in the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals in April – signalled that they will be ready to take on the star-studded Florida outfit with a masterful display to beat San Diego.

The Canadian club got off to a dream start with Brian White firing them into the lead after only eight minutes.

More relentless Vancouver pressure forced an own goal from San Diego goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega three minutes later, and a second White goal on the stroke of half-time made it 3-0.

San Diego raised hopes of an unlikely fightback when Mexico striker Hirving Lozano lashed in a long-range effort in the 60th minute.

But Vancouver continued to look the likelier team to score, and Sisniega was shown a red card for bringing down Ryan Gauld when the Whitecaps player rounded him to go in on goal.

Star forward Lionel Messi played a part in all four goals as Inter Miami moved on to the MLS Eastern Conference finals.

Tadeo Allende scored a second-half brace, Lionel Messi scored and picked up three assists and Inter Miami pulled away a 4-0 victory over Cincinnati in Sunday’s Major League Soccer (MLS) Eastern Conference semifinal.

Mateo Silvetti, 19, also had a goal and an assist for No 3 seed Miami, which continues its deepest MLS Cup Playoff run in club history by advancing to its first East final. It will host No 5 seed New York City FC, which shut out top-seeded Philadelphia Union 1-0 on Sunday night.

Cincinnati was eliminated in a home match for a third consecutive postseason while falling a match short of reaching its second East final.

Miami’s second consecutive 4-0 playoff win – after earning a home victory over Nashville in the decisive game of the round one series two weeks ago – came as manager Javier Mascherano decided not to return key striker Luis Suarez to the starting lineup.

Suarez, who was previously Messi’s longtime teammate at Barcelona, served a red-card suspension in the final Nashville match, but had 10 goals and 10 assists in the regular season.

But Messi and a more youthful Miami front four have appeared to reach another level over the last 180 minutes.

Messi has six goals and six assists this postseason – contributing to every single Miami tally – after he scored 29 goals and added 19 assists during what is likely to be a second consecutive MLS MVP-winning regular season.

Messi dominates East semifinal

On Sunday, Messi scored his goal in the 19th minute during what was an evenly poised opening to the match.

Jodi Alba created the opportunity when he stepped forward from his left back position to intercept a Cincinnati pass and create a transition opportunity.

Eventually, Silvetti got the ball in space on the left and delivered an outswinging cross that Messi met in stride with a firm header past goalkeeper Roman Celentano.

Silvetti doubled Miami’s lead in the 57th minute on a sequence that began from a throw-in on the right. Allende did extremely well to receive the throw, then turn his body quickly to elude a defender and spot Messi in space near the penalty arc. Messi kept the ball moving right to left with a layoff into Silvetti’s path, who dispatched an excellent curling finish beyond Celentano and inside the far right post.

Allende added his brace in the 62nd and 74th minutes, both on transition opportunities. Messi took the ball off Evander on the first to create the break, and the final through ball on both.

Star forward Lionel Messi and Inter Miami advanced to MLS Cup East semifinals with Game 3 playoff win over Nashville.

Lionel Messi scored two goals and assisted two more, and Inter Miami advanced in the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time in club history with a 4-0 victory over visiting Nashville SC in Game 3 of their first-round series on Saturday night in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Messi finished the best-of-three series with five goals and three assists, meaning he was involved in all eight tallies for third-seeded Miami. He has scored 15 times against sixth-seeded Nashville in all competitions, by far his most against any MLS opponent.

By contrast, Messi has never scored against No 2 seed FC Cincinnati, which will host Inter Miami in a one-game Eastern Conference semifinal in two weeks.

Tadeo Allende scored twice after halftime and had an assist as Miami won despite playing without key forward Luis Suarez, who served a one-game suspension for his kickout at Nashville SC’s Andy Najar in Game 2.

Nashville was eliminated in the first round in a third consecutive postseason appearance, having returned to the playoffs in the first full season coached by BJ Callaghan after missing the 2024 tournament.

Messi put Miami in front in the 10th minute on the first clear chance for either side.

Ian Fray’s pressure forced Nashville’s Matthew Corcoran into an ill-advised backward pass, which Allende deflected to Messi’s feet, with time and space to surge forward.

Messi did the rest, dribbling at retreating centre back Jack Maher before firing a low finish from about 20 yards (18 metres) out between goalkeeper Joe Willis and the right post.

Then Walker Zimmerman’s defensive error helped set up Messi’s second in the 39th minute when he reached Jordi Alba’s long, speculative ball down the left flank but failed to clear it.

Instead, it fell to Mateo Silvetti, who alertly spotted Messi running into space and provided the square pass in stride for a much simpler second finish.

Nashville thought it had pulled a goal back only seconds into the second half, only for apparent goal-scorer Sam Surridge to be whistled for a foul on Maxi Falcon.

But eventually, Miami added insurance through Allende twice in the 73rd and 76th minutes.

On the first, Messi and Alba combined on the left side of the box to set up Allende’s low finish through traffic. On the second, it was Messi sending an early through ball, and Allende chipping past Willis on the run.