Inter Miami crushed FC Cincinnati 4-0 at TQL Stadium to book a place in the Eastern Conference final, with Lionel Messi scoring once and providing three assists to set a historic MLS postseason record. The Argentine star’s four-goal involvement pushed him to a new league mark for most goal contributions in a single MLS Cup playoffs campaign.
Messi’s record-breaking night
Messi delivered one of his most dominant performances since arriving in MLS, finishing with one goal and three assists in the semifinal rout. The display took him to 12 goal contributions (six goals and six assists) in the 2025 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, the most ever recorded by a player in a single MLS postseason.
At 38, Messi continues to redefine expectations, having now scored or assisted in each playoff outing while dragging Inter Miami into the final four for the first time in club history. His overall 2025 numbers across all competitions – more than 40 goals and nearly 30 assists – underline how central he has been to Miami’s surge toward MLS Cup.
How the 4-0 rout unfolded
Inter Miami silenced a packed TQL Stadium by striking first in the 19th minute, when Messi ghosted into the box to head home a short cross from Mateo Silvetti. That goal not only broke his personal drought against Cincinnati but also shifted all the pressure onto the home side.
After the break, Miami turned control into a demolition, adding three second-half goals between the 57th and 74th minutes. Silvetti doubled the lead with a low drive from the left side of the box, before substitute Tadeo Allende struck twice in quick succession, both times set up by incisive Messi passes to complete the 4-0 scoreline.
Allende and Silvetti step up in attack
While Messi orchestrated from deep and between the lines, Allende and Silvetti provided the cutting edge that Cincinnati could not handle. Silvetti finished with a goal and an assist, first creating the opener for Messi and then punishing a stretched defense early in the second half.
Allende entered the spotlight in the final half-hour, timing his runs perfectly to twice beat the back line and finish clinically for Miami’s third and fourth goals. The brace capped a relentless attacking performance in which Inter Miami repeatedly carved Cincinnati open on transitions and combination play around the box.
Cincinnati’s collapse on home soil
Cincinnati, who came into the postseason as one of the league’s top regular-season sides, never found their usual rhythm. The hosts’ best first-half chance fell to Evander, who fired over the bar after a knockdown from Ender Echenique, while Roman Celentano was left exposed too often as Miami flooded forward.
Head coach Pat Noonan admitted his side “gave too much time to Messi” and turned the ball over in dangerous areas, errors that proved fatal at this stage. By the time Allende made it 4-0 with just over a quarter of an hour remaining, the sellout crowd of 25,513 could only watch as Miami calmly saw out a dominant away playoff win.
What it means for Inter Miami
The victory sends Inter Miami into the Eastern Conference final for the first time in club history, where they will face the winner of the Philadelphia Union–New York City FC semifinal. It also marks the club’s first multi-round playoff run, a milestone achieved on the back of Messi’s record-breaking form.
With Messi now owning the MLS single-postseason goal-contribution record and Inter Miami displaying ruthless efficiency in knockout play, the Herons head into the conference final as clear MLS Cup contenders. Another two wins would complete one of the most spectacular individual and team campaigns the league has seen.
