FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Lionel Messi scored a late goal and set up the equalizer to rally Inter Miami past the New England Revolution 2-1 at Gillette Stadium, clinching the club’s berth in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup before a crowd of 54,112.
The result also moved Miami into the No. 2 seed position in the Eastern Conference ahead of the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs, with the club’s regular-season finale against Charlotte FC still to come Saturday at 4 p.m. ET on Apple TV.
Messi’s performance pushed his season totals to 26 goals and 16 assists, placing him in position for a historic third consecutive Landon Donovan MLS MVP award and a second straight Golden Boot presented by Audi. Against New England specifically, the Argentine recorded his fifth multi-goal contribution performance in six career matches, bringing his all-time totals against the Revolution to 8 goals and 6 assists.
The 69th-minute equalizer came on a no-look, backwards header assist from Messi to striker Germán Berterame. “This team and these players that surround you, they create it. They create [the expectation] of always winning,” Berterame told Apple TV in Spanish. “They want to win and win. And that’s what this means.”
Head coach Cristian “Kily” González left no ambiguity about where Messi stands among his peers. “I have no doubts that he’s the best of them all,” González said. “Nobody compares with him, with all due respect to his colleagues. Leo - at his age, and what he represents, and what he does - it’s obvious that he deserves it. Just like he deserved the Ballon d’Or.”
With the Concacaf Champions Cup spot secured, González said the club’s focus turns immediately to the postseason. “We’ve achieved this objective, which allows us to look at what’s ahead with confidence,” he said. “And it’s terribly important for the club and for us.”
Miami’s broader ambition is to become the first repeat MLS Cup champions since the 2011-12 LA Galaxy. The Herons face Charlotte FC on Saturday’s Decision Day, with the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed still at stake.