Lionel Messi scored and assisted three more times as Inter Miami beat FC Cincinnati 4-0 in the Eastern Conference semi-finals on Sunday.
Mateo Silvetti, 19, also had a goal and an assist for No. 3 seed Miami, which continues its deepest Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup Playoff run in club history by advancing to its first Eastern final, and will face New York City FC in the top-tier match.
Cincinnati was eliminated at home for the third straight time, falling one game short of reaching its second Eastern final.
Miami’s second consecutive 4-0 playoff victory – after securing a home win over Nashville SC in the deciding first-round match two weeks ago – came when manager Javier Mascherano decided not to reinstate striker Luis Suarez into the starting lineup.
Suarez, formerly Messi’s teammate at FC Barcelona, was suspended with a red card in the last match in Nashville, but scored ten goals and ten assists in the regular season.
But Messi and a more youthful Miami front four appear to have reached another level in the past 180 minutes.
Messi has six goals and six assists this postseason – adding to every Miami tally – after scoring 29 goals and adding 19 assists during what will likely be the second straight MLS MVP-winning regular season.
RELATED: Lionel Messi and Inter Miami to play first match of the regular season in new stadium on April 4
On Sunday, he scored in the 19th minute – Jodi Alba created the chance, intercepted a Cincinnati pass and created a transition opportunity.
Finally, Silvetti got the ball into space on the left and delivered a sweeping cross that Messi met with a firm header past goalkeeper Roman Celentano.
Silvetti doubled Miami’s lead in the 57th minute on a sequence that started with a throw-in on the right sideline. Tadeo Allende did extremely well to receive the throw, then quickly turned his body to avoid a defender and spot Messi in space near the penalty arc.
Messi kept the ball moving from right to left with a lay-off into the path of Silvetti, who delivered an excellent curling finish behind Celentano and inside the far right post.
Allende added his brace in the 62nd and 74th minutes, both on transition opportunities. Messi cleared the ball from Evander on the first to create the break, and the final through ball on both.
Published on November 24, 2025
