Lionel Messi’s extraordinary form continued as he delivered his fifth straight multi-goal performance to lead Inter Miami to a 2-1 win over Nashville SC on Saturday night, ending the visitors’ 15-match unbeaten streak.
With the win, Miami (11-3-5) extended its own winning streak to five matches and climbed to fifth in the Supporters’ Shield standings, strengthening its push for back-to-back league titles.
Messi, already the only player in MLS history with four consecutive multi-goal games, made it five with a dazzling display. The 38-year-old opened the scoring in the 17th minute, bending a low free kick through Nashville’s wall to notch his 55th goal in just 66 appearances for Inter Miami.
After Hany Mukhtar leveled the match in the 49th minute with a clinical header off Andy Najar’s cross, Messi struck again in the 62nd. This time, he pounced on a costly mistake by Nashville goalkeeper Joe Willis, who gifted the ball to the Argentine, allowing him to coolly slot home the winner.
Messi now leads the MLS Golden Boot race, tied with Nashville’s Sam Surridge at 16 goals — though Messi has needed just 16 games to reach that mark, compared to Surridge’s 21.
Nashville (12-5-5), which had surged to third in the Supporters’ Shield standings during their unbeaten run dating back to mid-April, suffered its first loss in 16 games — the best stretch in the club’s six-year history.
For Miami, the result underscores not just Messi’s brilliance, but also the club’s growing momentum as the playoff race heats up.
