In Major League Soccer (MLS), Inter Miami staged a stunning comeback under Lionel Messi to secure a remarkable victory over Orlando City. The team had already faced setbacks this season, losing their opening match 2–0 to Los Angeles FC. Against Orlando City on Monday morning, Miami fell behind 2–0 within the first 24 minutes, and by halftime, the scoreline showed 2–0, leaving Miami 5–0 down across the first 135 minutes of the new season.

At the break, Messi and his teammates looked visibly frustrated and dejected. However, the second half witnessed a remarkable turnaround. Led by Messi’s brilliance, Miami struck back with four goals, two of them scored by Messi himself. From being 0–2 down, Inter Miami ultimately left the field with an incredible 4–2 win.

Despite offseason reinforcements, Miami had initially struggled to reflect the team’s strengthened lineup on the pitch. Marco Pasic opened the scoring for Orlando in the 18th minute, and Martin Ojeda doubled the lead at 24 minutes. After halftime, coach Javier Mascherano made key substitutions, bringing on Mateo Silvetti for left-back Noah Allen. This tactical change shifted the momentum of the match.

In the 49th minute, Silvetti, just 20 years old, scored a superb strike from outside the box, narrowing the gap. Shortly after, Messi worked his magic: in the 57th minute, he navigated past a defensive wall of six players to slot in a perfect left-footed strike for his first goal of the year, leveling the score at 2–2. Miami grew increasingly dominant, and in the 85th minute, Talisca Segovia scored, assisted by Messi. Then, in the 90th minute, Messi delivered yet another masterful goal—a free-kick from outside the box, putting Miami ahead 4–2. This marked Messi’s 70th free-kick goal, his 52nd goal in his first 55 MLS regular-season matches, and his 898th career goal, just two shy of the magical 900-goal milestone.

After the match, Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano told Apple TV, “Orlando was a very tough opponent last season. They are strong, and their coach is excellent. To win here, we had to play a perfect match. I enjoyed this as a player.”

Inter Miami will next face DC United at Audi Field in Washington on Saturday.