Messi led his team to the monumental win by scoring a spectacular hat-trick and providing an assist, wrapping up his regular season with an extraordinary performance that solidified his claim for the MLS Golden Boot award.
First Half: The Setback and the Early Response
The match didn't start according to coach Javier Mascherano's plans. Although Messi opened the scoring in the 34th minute with a powerful, well-placed strike from outside the box, converting his team's dominance into an early lead.
However, Nashville quickly responded fiercely on their home turf. Sam Surridge equalized for the hosts in the 43rd minute, followed by Jacob Shaffelburg who put Nashville ahead in stoppage time (45'+6). The first half concluded with a surprising (2-1) lead for Nashville.
Second Half: A Dramatic Turnaround Led by "The Flea"
Inter Miami emerged for the second half with a completely different mentality, and the execution of Mascherano's instructions was evident. The game shifted entirely in favor of the visitors, with the Argentine star showcasing his leadership and technical brilliance:
- The Equalizer (63'): Messi brought the match back level successfully from a penalty kick, making the score (2-2).
- The Go-Ahead Goal (67'): Just four minutes later, young Argentine Baltasar Rodríguez scored the third goal, capitalizing on a rebound from a Luis Suárez shot to put Inter Miami in the lead (3-2).
- The Decisive Hat-Trick (81'): Messi returned to seal his magical performance with a powerful shot from inside the area, scoring his personal third goal and the team's fourth. He completed a magnificent hat-trick, confirming Inter Miami’s superiority (4-2).
- The Final Touch (90'+1): Messi wasn't content with just the hat-trick; he brilliantly assisted the fifth goal with an individual skill move, setting up Venezuelan substitute Telasco Segovia who finished the scoring frenzy.
The match ended with a comprehensive and deserved 5-2 victory for Inter Miami.
Post-Match Statistics and Implications
The final score was Nashville SC 2 - 5 Inter Miami CF.
Goalscorers for Inter Miami: Lionel Messi (Hat-Trick), Baltasar Rodríguez, Telasco Segovia.
Messi's Historic Achievement: With this treble and assist, Lionel Messi concluded the season with 48 goal contributions (29 goals and 19 assists), achieving the second-highest tally in MLS history. He also became only the second player to lead the league in both goals and assists in a single season.
Next Up: Inter Miami will face the same opponent, Nashville SC, in the first round of the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, set to be played in a best-of-three series.