MIAMI — Lionel Messi will carry an MLS-best 18 goal contributions into Inter Miami’s Matchday 15 home clash against the Philadelphia Union, riding a stretch of peak form ahead of Argentina’s World Cup title defense this summer.
Messi’s 1-goal, 1-assist performance guided the Herons to a 2-0 victory over the Portland Timbers last weekend — Inter Miami’s first-ever win at Nu Stadium. The legendary No. 10 has produced 5 goals and 6 assists in his last four matches alone, pushing his season total to 12 goals and 6 assists.
He is far from the only Inter Miami player surging. Argentine international Rodrigo De Paul has tallied five goal contributions — 1 goal and 4 assists — in his last three games. Marquee winter signing Germán Berterame has scored in two straight appearances, posting 5 goals and 3 assists on the season as he bolsters his case for Mexico’s World Cup squad. Goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair recorded his second clean sheet of the season against Portland while competing for Canada’s No. 1 job at this summer’s tournament.
The Philadelphia Union present a stark contrast. The 2025 Supporters’ Shield winners sit last in the league table heading into Matchday 15 with just one win and seven points from 14 games. Still, the Union roster carries intrigue: midfielder Danley Jean Jacques recently earned a call-up to Haiti’s World Cup squad, and 16-year-old homegrown phenom Cavan Sullivan scored his first MLS goal during a recent visit to Orlando City. Forward Milan Iloski leads the club with four goals this year, including a second-half equalizer in last weekend’s 1-1 draw against the Columbus Crew. Center back Olwethu Makhanya is on the World Cup radar for South Africa.
The Inter Miami match is part of a nationally televised doubleheader that also features LAFC hosting the Seattle Sounders. LAFC have dropped to seventh place in the Western Conference amid a four-game winless skid, most recently falling in a 3-2 decision at Supporters’ Shield leaders Nashville SC. World Cup-bound South Korean superstar Son Heung-Min leads the league with nine assists, while club legend Denis Bouanga has produced 6 goals and 5 assists and rising Venezuelan international David Martínez has posted 5 goals and 2 assists in a breakout season.
Seattle enters after its nine-game unbeaten streak was snapped last weekend in a 2-0 home loss to the LA Galaxy, ending a 22-game undefeated run at Lumen Field. Veteran midfielder Cristian Roldan came off the bench against the Galaxy after starting the Sounders’ first two matches of a three-game week.
Both home sides — Inter Miami and LAFC — are favored heading into the weekend doubleheader, with kickoff times set for Matchday 15.