Eight goals before half time. That was the headline at Nu Stadium at Miami Freedom Park as Inter Miami and the Philadelphia Union combined for an MLS-record eight first-half goals in a 6-4 thriller on 24 May 2026. Luis Suárez finished with a hat-trick and Lionel Messi exited in the 73rd minute after signalling a problem with the back of his left leg. The match was the final MLS fixture before the World Cup break, and Messi’s early departure focused attention on his availability for Argentina’s title defence from 16 June 2026.

Inter Miami overturned an early two-goal deficit and then held on in a chaotic encounter that swung one way and then the other at Miami Freedom Park. Milan Iloski put Philadelphia ahead 2-0 in the opening period, but the pattern of the game changed rapidly as goals came in waves.

How the goals flew

Germán Berterame began Miami’s comeback when he converted a Lionel Messi cutback to make it 2-1. The Union briefly re-established a two-goal cushion, only for Suárez to pull one back from a Messi assist and make it 3-2. Berterame levelled again and then Suárez struck just before the interval to send the hosts in front 4-3, meaning the teams had shared an MLS-record eight goals by the break.

The second half opened with a sense that either side could still take control. Iloski converted a penalty to make it 4-4, but Suárez restored Miami’s lead with an 81st-minute finish to complete his hat-trick. Substitute Mateo Silvetti played a key late role, helping set up Suárez’s fifth and then laying the pass to Rodrigo De Paul for a stoppage-time finish that sealed a 6-4 final scoreline.

Suárez’s goals were the defining factor on the night. His movement and finishing delivered Miami the margin, while Berterame’s two strikes and Messi’s creative influence underlined the attacking balance the hosts found when fully firing. Philadelphia’s finishing in the first half and Iloski’s penalty showed why the Union remain a threat even when they have to chase games.

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Messi’s early exit and the World Cup question

Messi signalled to the bench after appearing to feel the back of his left leg and was substituted in the 73rd minute, replaced by Silvetti. Tunnel footage shown after the game captured Messi walking straight to the dressing room without visible assistance. Inter Miami interim coach Guillermo Hoyos said the club had not yet received a formal medical report and described the substitution as precautionary.

"As far as I know, we don’t have a [medical] report on that yet, but we will have one shortly," he said, adding that the exit was linked to fatigue and a desire not to take risks.

Players and staff voiced worry then hope after the match. Teammates expressed concern and also optimism that the issue would be minor. The timing of Messi’s withdrawal immediately focused minds on Argentina’s World Cup defence, which begins on 16 June 2026, because this game was the final domestic fixture before the international break.

The result leaves Inter Miami well placed in the Eastern Conference, sitting second in the East ahead of the World Cup pause. For Miami the victory is a timely boost; for Philadelphia the match will be a lesson in game management and in how quickly a lead can evaporate when an opponent finds rhythm in attack.

On the balance of the match, the first half was decisive in setting a frenetic tempo that neither side could quite control. Miami’s capacity to score from Messi cutbacks and Suárez finishes contrasted with Philadelphia’s ability to punish any defensive slackness. In the second half the substitutions mattered, with Silvetti's introduction changing the dynamic and helping to create the two decisive late moments that put the game beyond the visitors.

Messi’s substitution will be monitored closely by Argentina’s medical and coaching staff, but for now Inter Miami insist the move was cautious rather than compelled by a confirmed injury.

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Argentina’s title defence begins on 16 June 2026, and Messi’s 73rd-minute withdrawal at Miami will be a key issue between now and then as national team staff examine any formal medical findings. Originally reported by aljazeera.com.

This article was created with AI assistance.