Lionel Messi heroics: Inter Miami get Leagues Cup revenge on Orlando City | OneFootball

By Jaime Uribarri

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – When it comes to Leagues Cup, Florida is pink. Lionel Messi made sure of that.

The legendary No. 10 had a heroic return from injury Wednesday night at Chase Stadium, scoring a late brace as Inter Miami CF rallied for a dramatic 3-1 semifinal win over Orlando City.

The result locked up qualification for the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup and secured passage to Sunday’s Leagues Cup final at Seattle Sounders FC (8 pm ET | MLS Season Pass, Apple TV+).

Even more satisfying: the Herons did it in the Florida Derby, exacting revenge on an in-state rival that dominated the MLS regular-season series with two lopsided victories by a combined 7-1 scoreline.

"We had to win this game at home," homegrown defender Ian Fray told reporters post-match. "They beat us here 3-0 before, and we just lost 4-1. So we had to win."

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Masterful Messi

As has often been the case, Miami leaned on Messi to carry them through a must-win game.

And carry them he did, despite lingering effects of a hamstring injury that forced him to miss the Herons’ previous two games.

"I wanted to play," Messi said in a post-match interview with MLS Season Pass. "Ever since I came back against the Galaxy, I felt discomfort there and didn’t feel comfortable. I prepared myself to play this game because I knew how important it was.

"The opponent, it’s a difficult opponent that had beaten us twice this season."

Iconic performance

By Messi's own admission, it took him time to get back into rhythm against a hard-nosed Orlando side that relied on physicality to impose their game – to the point of defender David Brekalo seeing a red card for a second bookable offense.

"Honestly, in the first half, I felt a little scared," Messi said. "But in the second half, I loosened up a bit."

Specifically, the Argentine icon canceled out Marco Pašalić’s opener on the stroke of halftime with a 77th-minute penalty – after Brekalo pulled down Tadeo Allende – that leveled the score.

Eleven minutes later, he combined for a lovely give-and-go with fellow FC Barcelona legend Jordi Alba before firing past goalkeeper Pedro Gallese.

Substitute Telasco Segovia added a stunning goal of his own in second-half stoppage time, but Messi once again did the heaviest lifting for Miami – even at less than full capacity.

"I don’t know if he was at 100 percent, coming off an injury after being inactive for a bit," midfielder Sergio Busquets said of his former Barça teammate. "But look at what he’s done."

Added Fray: "He’s been doing this for so long. It’s super impressive that he’s still doing it at this age. It’s incredible."

For assistant manager Javier Morales, who replaced suspended manager Javier Mascherano on the sidelines, the 38-year-old again showed why he’s in a class of his own.

"With Leo, words come up short," Morales said. "A player who practically didn’t train – he trained two days, three days – today he played 90 minutes the way he did: creating situations, scoring goals. There’s nothing more to say. Everyone knows what he is.

"… He’s the best in history."

More history in sight

Messi’s legacy would grow even further with another Leagues Cup title to add to the 2023 trophy that crowned his dream start to life with Miami.

The No. 10 scored 10 goals en route to that first title, and with Wednesday's brace, he now has 12 tallies in 10 all-time Leagues Cup appearances.

Only the Sounders stand in the way of Messi & Co. achieving yet another milestone that also includes a record-breaking 2024 Supporters’ Shield crown.

"We're trying to help the club grow," Busquets said ahead of Sunday’s final. "I think the best is ahead of us, and that’s it. The team is growing. Little by little, we’re getting to know each other better. We know what we want and how solid we can be.

"Hopefully we can win another title."

HIGHLIGHTS: Inter Miami CF vs. Orlando City | August 27, 2025