MIAMI — Inter Miami erased a two-goal deficit and erupted for six goals to defeat the Philadelphia Union 6-4 in a 10-goal thriller at their home ground, a match that tied for the second-most goals in MLS history behind only the LA Galaxy’s 7-4 win over the Colorado Rapids in May 1998.
Luis Suárez delivered a hat trick for the defending MLS Cup champions, while Germán Berterame added a brace and Rodrigo De Paul struck a late insurance goal to seal the victory. Eight of the 10 goals came in a frantic first half that saw the Herons fall behind 2-0 before storming back.
Philadelphia, coached by Bradley Carnell, showed no deference to the 2025 MLS Supporters’ Shield champions despite sitting last in the overall table with just seven points on a 1W-10L-4D record. Milan Iloski punished Inter Miami early with a hat trick, and Bruno Damiani added a near-range finish — all before halftime.
The victory was tempered by a scare involving Lionel Messi, who exited in the 73rd minute with muscular fatigue and load management concerns. The back-to-back Landon Donovan MLS MVP leads the league with 20 goal contributions — 12 goals and eight assists — through 14 matches this season. He is approaching 200 caps for Argentina and holds the record for most World Cup match appearances at 26, producing 13 goals and eight assists on the tournament stage.
Messi is expected to captain Argentina at this summer’s World Cup, with the three-time champions opening Group J play against Algeria on June 16. Argentina will then face Austria on June 22 and Jordan on June 27, giving Messi just over three weeks to recover from the fatigue issue.