Inter Miami 5–1 Columbus Crew: Takeaways From Another Messi Masterclass | OneFootball

Lionel Messi scored twice and put up two assists as Inter Miami picked up their largest win of the 2025 MLS regular season over the Columbus Crew at Chase Stadium.

Miami did not take long to get on the scoreboard, with Messi setting up Tadeo Allende in the 13th minute to make it 1–0 on Allende’s fourth goal in five matches. Minutes later, a giveaway from Columbus goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen set Messi up for his first goal of the night, giving Miami the 2-0 lead in 15 minutes.

Messi added a second goal in the 24th minute, before Luis Suárez and Fafa Picault scored to wrap up the dominant victory for the Herons in what was their final MLS match ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup.

The win moved Miami up to third in the Eastern Conference with 29 points in 16 games, only trailing the Philadelphia Union and FC Cincinnati, while Messi’s standout performance helped him earn another individual record.

Sports Illustrated takes a look at three takeaways from the matchup.

The Messi-Suárez Duo is On Fire

Lionel Messi has scored five goals and four assists in the last three games. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Remember when Messi and Suárez went two games without scoring? Don’t worry about it; the former FC Barcelona legends are back in top form and looking like the threatening duo that helped Messi to a MVP award in 2024.

While Messi scored twice and set up two goals as a primary assist, Suárez’s 4–1 goal also came with a creative spark from his longtime teammate. Throughout Saturday’s match, the two players played off each other, allowing the midfielders to weave in through their plays and maintain a dynamic attack, while also limiting their own running.

In three matches over the last eight days, a 3–3 draw against the Philadelphia Union, a 4–2 win over CF Montréal and now a 5–1 win over Columbus, Messi has scored five goals and four assists, while Suárez has added three goals and an assist.

Some of that benefit has come from the shift back to a 4-4-2, allowing each to drift up top for long balls and to poach loose chances. At the same time, Saturday saw Benjamin Cremaschi return to midfield alongside Sergio Busquets, offering a more attacking outlook than Yannick Bright or Federico Redondo, who have often played in the double-pivot.

The Messi-Suárez might not get many chances compared to other MLS attacks, but they have returned to form and are the hottest finishers in the league, heading into their month away from regular-season action.

Rounding Into Form Ahead of the Club World Cup

Sergio Busquets worked well in a midfield double-pivot alongside Benjamin Cremaschi on Saturday night. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

It was just three weeks ago that Busquets said that he didn’t feel Miami were at the level to compete at the FIFA Club World Cup. Fast forward to Saturday, and they can be a lot more confident heading into the 32-team tournament.

After a run that saw them win just twice in nine MLS matches and fall out of the Concacaf Champions Cup, the Herons have hit their stride again and enter the Club World Cup having back-to-back wins for the first time since March.

As much as the play and poor results were a critical issue for head coach Javier Mascherano’s team, the lack of confidence and upheaval within the group also posed concerns, as they prepared to take on the world’s best.

Now, though, Mascherano has adapted to some of the realities of MLS and has rotated the personnel within his squad more, keeping players fresh and adjusting his tactics to fit an opponent, rather than a single idea of how he wanted Miami to play.

Those adjustments have allowed Messi and the rest of Miami to return to near their 2024 levels in attack, scoring 15 goals in their last five games. Meanwhile, the defense has also improved with the adaptations, conceding 12 goals during the same span.

Miami has yet to prove itself among the best in MLS, but recent weeks and Saturday’s win over a strong Columbus side suggest they are on the upswing heading into the Club World Cup, where they will face Egypt’s Al-Ahly.

Oscar Ustari Leaves in Concerning Fashion

Inter Miami may have found their form up front in recent games, and have somewhat sorted their defense, but goalkeeping has remained a consistent issue, which could have gotten worse on Saturday.

Veteran shot stopper, Oscar Ustari, had to leave the match due to injury, and Rocco Ríos Novo came in as his replacement for the second half. While Ustari has ranked among the league’s worst goalkeepers this season, he has offered consistency, which Miami have adapted to through recent weeks.

Should he be significantly injured, Miami will have the choice to either run with Rios Novo, who has played just 19 MLS matches, or veteran William Yarbrough, who last played a competitive game on Sept. 1, 2024.

Should the club opt to reinforce the goalkeeper position, they will have a chance to do so in the extra transfer window, which runs from Sunday, through June 10, ahead of the Club World Cup. They may not have looked down that path prior, but it could be a looming issue, depending on the status of Ustari over the next month.

Miami will have to sort that out quickly though, with their Club World Cup opener against Al-Ahly on June 14 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.