Inter Miami secured a 5–3 victory over Cincinnati in a Major League Soccer match

Argentine star Lionel Messi stole the spotlight with a hat-trick and an assist, directly contributing to four of his team’s five goals on the night.

Match breakdown and goal sequence

Inter Miami started on the front foot, with Messi opening the scoring in the 24th minute after capitalizing on a defensive lapse by Cincinnati defender Matt Miazga.

Just before halftime, Cincinnati equalized through a penalty converted by Kevin Denkey, sending the teams into the break level at 1–1.

Early in the second half, Pavel Bucha put Cincinnati ahead, but Messi restored parity in the 55th minute with a left-footed strike assisted by Rodrigo De Paul. The visitors then regained the lead through Brazilian midfielder Evander, making it 3–2.

In the final 15 minutes, Inter Miami turned the game around. Messi set up Mateo Silvetti for the equalizer in the 79th minute, before Germán Berterame put Miami ahead in the 83rd minute.

Messi then capped off the comeback with his third goal, finishing off a cross to seal a 5–3 win.

Player stats and team standing

With this hat-trick, Messi raised his MLS season tally to 11 goals in 12 appearances.

Inter Miami moved up to 25 points in the Eastern Conference standings, climbing to second place after a strong run of recent results.

The match comes shortly before the 2026 World Cup, where Messi is expected to lead Argentina in defense of their world title.

His recent performances underline his strong form, with a direct involvement in around 40% of Inter Miami’s goals this season.