Lionel Messi Scores Late Winner as Inter Miami Rallies Past Revolution 2-1, Moves Into Second in East

Lionel Messi set up the equalizer and scored the winner in the 83rd minute as Inter Miami CF came from behind to beat the New England Revolution 2-1 on Sunday night at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The regular-season win moved Inter Miami (16-6-11, 59 points) past New England (18-11-4, 58 points) into second place in the Eastern Conference with one match left before the MLS Cup Playoffs.

The victory also secured Inter Miami a place in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup, according to ESPN, and gave the club its 10th road win of the season, three more than any other MLS team.

How the match unfolded

A scoreless first half, played in front of a crowd of 54,112, gave way to a New England goal in the 53rd minute. Dániel Gazdag took passes from defenders Ilay Feingold and Peyton Miller and drove a right-footed shot from the center of the box past Inter Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair. It was Gazdag's second goal in 11 appearances this season. The assists were career highs for both defenders: the fifth of the season for Feingold and the ninth for Miller, who is 18.

Inter Miami answered in the 69th minute. Messi, in the starting lineup with Berterame and Riquelme Fillipi, headed the ball across to Berterame, whose header from the center of the box found the bottom right corner to make it 1-1. Luis Suárez entered two minutes later in place of Riquelme.

The winner came in the 83rd minute. Telasco Segovia fed Messi in the center of the box, and the Argentine finished low to the bottom right corner with his left foot. According to several reports, Messi carried the ball through multiple New England defenders before shooting.

Inter Miami then held on through eight minutes of stoppage time as New England pushed for an equalizer, bringing on Luca Langoni, Alhassan Yusuf and veteran Diego Fagúndez. New England finished with 54.9% of possession and 13 shots, but only three were on target, while Inter Miami put six of its 14 shots on goal. The Revolution also won the corner count 7-1, and Inter Miami committed 16 fouls to New England's six as it defended the lead.

Messi's numbers

The goal was Messi's league-leading 26th of the season, and the assist was his 16th, tied for second in MLS. His 42 goal contributions lead the league by nine, according to ESPN. It was his first goal or assist in three matches, after he started on the bench in a 2-0 loss at the New York Red Bulls on Oct. 24 and the club drew 2-2 with FC Cincinnati on Oct. 28.

Segovia's assist on the winner was his 12th of the season, a career high in his second full MLS season. Berterame now has 10 goals and 10 assists in his first MLS season.

The Eastern Conference race

Nashville SC has already locked up first place in the East with 74 points. Behind it, the race for the remaining top spots goes to Decision Day. Here is the top of the conference with one match left for every club.

Based on the ESPN standings, the math is straightforward. With 59 points, Inter Miami cannot be caught by Chicago, whose maximum is 58, so it will finish no lower than third. A win over Charlotte on Decision Day would clinch second place outright; anything less would open the door for New England, which plays at Orlando City SC the same day.

That finale also gives Florida's other MLS club a say in the race. Orlando City sits ninth in the East with 43 points, one behind eighth-place Columbus, so the Lions have their own seeding to play for when they host the Revolution. An Orlando win would hand Inter Miami second place regardless of its own result.

Charlotte, the Decision Day opponent, cannot catch Inter Miami but is still chasing Chicago for fourth place, two points back with three available.

Form and context

Inter Miami is 10-4-3 away from home this season, the best road record in the league. Sunday's win ended New England's four-match winning streak, a run that included victories over FC Cincinnati, Chicago, Philadelphia and the Red Bulls in October, and left the Revolution at 11-4-2 at home. The two teams drew 1-1 in Miami at the end of April.

Inter Miami's last five league matches show how the week turned around.

Inter Miami entered the week coming off the loss in New Jersey and the draw with Cincinnati, a stretch that cost it ground in the standings. The rally in Foxborough restored the club's position heading into the final weekend, and the Concacaf berth guarantees South Florida fans another international competition next year.

The starting lineup included St. Clair in goal, a back line with Micael, Casemiro, Gonzalo Luján and Ian Fray, and a midfield of Yannick Bright, Segovia and Rodrigo De Paul. Luján and Bright were replaced by Sergio Reguilón and Matías Galarza in the 63rd minute. In stoppage time, David Ayala and Facundo Mura came on for Berterame and Segovia to help close out the match. Luján, Galarza and Segovia were booked. New England's lineup included Carles Gil along with Gazdag and Dor Turgeman, and goalkeeper Matt Turner, a former U.S. national team starter, made three saves.

What's next

Inter Miami closes the regular season at home against Charlotte FC on Decision Day, Saturday, Nov. 7, at Nu Stadium in Miami, with a scheduled 4 p.m. Eastern kickoff. New England visits Orlando City at Inter&Co Stadium at the same time. The MLS Cup Playoffs follow, with Inter Miami assured of a top-three seed in the East and playing for second.