Inter Miami CF beat the New England Revolution 2-1 on Sunday in Foxborough, Massachusetts, with Lionel Messi once again providing the decisive touch. His goal secured his team’s place in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup. The win also lifted Miami above the Revs into second place in the Eastern Conference, with one regular-season game remaining.
A cagey first half
The Revolution had the better of the opening 45 minutes, registering six total shots and five corner kicks, and generating an expected goals figure of 0.75. Neither side could find the net, however, and the match went into the break goalless.
Dániel Gazdag broke the deadlock in the early minutes of the second half, connecting with Ilay Feingold inside the box before finding the back of the net.
Messi strikes twice
Miami responded in the 69th minute. Germán Berterame levelled the score, with the goal set up by a deft backward header from Messi. Manager Cristian González then bolstered his attack by bringing on Luis Suárez, who had started Miami’s last 25 games.
Messi then put Miami in front himself. He dribbled past defenders outside the box and smashed a trademark low, left-footed shot beyond Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner. The Revs came close to a draw soon after, but an own goal from Ian Fray was ruled offside, leaving Miami’s advantage intact.
Playoff implications
Messi’s goal proved decisive for Miami’s continental ambitions. Had Miami lost or drawn, they would have needed to win something on Decision Day, on 7 November, to reach North America’s top club competition.
González was effusive in his praise of the match-winner. “I have no doubt that he’s the best of all,” he said. “None of them can compare to him when it comes to respect for his colleagues. Leo at his age and what he does, from my point of view, deserves the MVP and also the Ballon d’Or. I hope he can achieve it.”
González also explained his tactical changes. “We knew we were going up against a rival that tries to seek out duels where they defend high, so the possibility of changes was to have depth, look for the spaces, and the one-on-one matchups. We struggled with ball possession, which at times was very passive,” he said. “My message to the players is I need everyone. In this case, we believed we needed to make some changes.
“This doesn’t mean this is the team that’s going to start the playoffs. Everyone shows me they’re eager to want to play.”
“It makes me very happy for the players and for the club, we are on the side of contributing things,” González added. “We are at a club that is in continuous growth, I have players committed to us. We needed to win and we challenged ourselves on what kind of team we wanted to be.”
Qualification and what comes next
Inter Miami now joins Nashville SC, the Revolution and the Vancouver Whitecaps in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup. The winner of the 2026 MLS Cup will also earn a place in the competition.
The Herons have 59 points from 33 games. They finish the regular season at home to Charlotte FC, a result that will have seeding implications ahead of the MLS playoffs.