Lionel Messi started for Inter Miami at Yankee Stadium but couldn’t find the net as NYCFC fought back for a 1-1 draw, leaving both Eastern Conference contenders with a point in a high-stakes early-season showdown.
Lionel Messi was back in the starting lineup for Inter Miami on Sunday at Yankee Stadium, but despite several gilt-edged opportunities, the Argentine star was denied by NYCFC goalkeeper Matt Turner as the match ended in a tense 1-1 draw. The result leaves NYCFC ahead of Inter Miami in the Eastern Conference standings and raises fresh questions about the Herons’ over-reliance on their captain following a disappointing Concacaf Champions Cup exit earlier in the week.
Inter Miami struck early through defender Gonzalo Lugan, who capitalized on a rebound from a Telasco Segovia shot following a corner-kick sequence to net his first career goal in the third minute. The early lead provided a cushion, but NYCFC, sitting above Miami in the Eastern Conference with 10 points from three wins and a draw, grew into the contest and found their equalizer through midfielder Nicolás Fernández.
Fernández’sying free kick in the 17th minute hit the crossbar and fell over the line after Inter Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair misplayed the attempt, knotting the score at 1-1. The goal highlighted NYCFC’s set-piece proficiency and capped a period of sustained pressure after Lugan’s opener.
Messi had Inter Miami’s best chances to reclaim the lead. In the 31st minute, a downhill, aggressive run ended with a powerful left-footed strike from just outside the box that clanged off the left post. Five minutes earlier, in the 8th, a close-range effort was smothered by Turner, and in the 35th, another shot from inside the area was saved.
The missed chances were particularly poignant given Inter Miami’s offensive struggles this season. Across all competitions, the Herons have scored just seven goals in a 2W-3D-1L start, with Messi accounting for four. Only Mateo Silvetti, Telasco Segovia and Rodrigo De Paul—Messi’s World Cup-winning teammate, who was absent Sunday—have also scored for Miami.
NYCFC’s three wins and a draw have them sitting above Inter Miami in the Eastern Conference, trailing only first-place Nashville. Their attacking threat has been led by Nicolás Fernández, who now has four goals this season, including the equalizer against Miami.
The two teams’ most recent meeting was far more decisive: Inter Miami’s 5-1 victory in the 2025 MLS Eastern Conference final on Nov. 29. That result seemed to signal a changing of the guard in the East, but Sunday’s stalemate reminded everyone that NYCFC, under a coach with “a very clear idea of how he wants them to play,” remains a formidable obstacle, as Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano noted before the match.
“We played a conference final recently. It’s practically the same team, they’ve only changed a few players, they have a coach who has a very clear idea of how he wants them to play and they do it very well,” Mascherano said. “I think that the disappointment of being eliminated from the Champions Cup should fill us with energy to go and play a great game, show what we are capable of and get the three points.”
The disappointment of a Concacaf Champions Cup exit earlier in the week still lingers, but the larger narrative surrounding Messi is his historic scoring milestones. His 900th career goal, netted against Nashville SC in the Concacaf Champions Cup, makes him one of only two active players to reach 900 goals, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo (965) Yahoo Sports. That achievement, coming at age 38, underscores his otherworldly longevity, even as his club team navigates a season of transition.
Messi’s club schedule now shifts to international duty. He is expected to join Argentina for two March friendlies—against Mauritania on the 27th and Zambia on the 31st—during the FIFA window. The highly anticipated Finalissima between Argentina and Spain was ultimately cancelled due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East Yahoo Sports, leaving Argentina without that showcase match before this summer’s World Cup.
Back in MLS, Inter Miami returns to action on April 4 against Austin FC, followed by a game against the New York Red Bulls on April 11. With Messi fit and firing—even if he didn’t score Sunday—the Herons remain a top storyline in the East, but Wednesday’s result underscores that they are not yet the juggernaut many envisioned.
Injury Report
- Inter Miami: Rodrigo De Paul (Leg, Out); Maximiliano Falcón (Knee; Out); Sergio Reguilon (Hamstring; Out)
- New York City FC: Malachi Jones (Leg; Out); Alonso Martinez (Leg; Out); Andres Perea (Leg; Out)
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