Red Bulls Beat Inter Miami 2-0 as Lionel Messi Starts on the Bench After Spain Trip, Ending Three-Game Win Streak

Inter Miami's push for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference hit a snag on Saturday. The New York Red Bulls beat Miami 2-0 on Oct. 24 at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, ending the Herons' three-game winning streak on a night when Lionel Messi started on the bench and did not enter until the 56th minute.

An early own goal by Casemiro and a stoppage-time finish by Emil Forsberg decided it. The loss left Miami at 15-6-10 with 55 points and three regular-season matches to play, tied on points with the New England Revolution in the race for second place behind runaway leader Nashville SC.

How the Red Bulls won

New York struck in the seventh minute. Jorge Ruvalcaba sent a cross into the box that deflected off Casemiro and past Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair for an own goal. Miami controlled the ball for most of the night, with the Red Bulls holding just 37.5% of possession, according to Yahoo Sports, but New York generated 18 shot attempts and Miami managed only two shots on target.

Messi came on in the 56th minute with Miami chasing the equalizer. He took two corner kicks and had a late attempt blocked by Dylan Nealis, but the comeback never materialized. In second-half stoppage time, Cameron Harper set up Forsberg, who finished to make it 2-0. It was Forsberg's first goal since Aug. 15.

St. Clair made four saves for Miami, and Red Bulls goalkeeper Ethan Horvath made two. The win lifted New York to 11-14-6 and 39 points, snapping a two-game losing streak for the Red Bulls and keeping them in the hunt for a wild card spot.

Why Messi started on the bench

Messi was not injured. Days before the match he traveled to Oviedo, Spain, to receive the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports, then flew back to the United States with little time to recover or train with the team.

Head coach Kily González said after the match that the decision to bring Messi off the bench had already been agreed upon, according to multiple outlets, citing the time-zone changes, temperature shifts and other travel factors. He said the aim was to avoid the risk of injury ahead of Wednesday's home match against FC Cincinnati. González also praised Messi for wanting to be with the team and to play despite the trip.

González has been in charge only since Sept. 15. Javier Mascherano coached the team until April 14, and Guillermo Hoyos led Miami on an interim basis through mid-September before González, the former Argentina international, took over and steered the club into the playoffs.

The loss also ended a scorching run for the Argentine. Messi had scored 13 goals in his previous 11 MLS matches, according to Yahoo Sports, and reports said his streak of 13 straight matches with a goal contribution came to an end in Harrison.

A strong October before the setback

Miami had looked like its best self in the first half of October. The club routed D.C. United 4-0 on Oct. 10 at Nu Stadium, with Luis Suárez and Messi each scoring twice. Four days later, a 2-0 win over New York City FC, on goals by Germán Berterame and Rodrigo De Paul, clinched Miami's place in the 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs. On Oct. 17, Messi scored twice in a 3-1 win at Atlanta United.

Miami's recent league results:

Messi has 25 MLS goals this season. When Miami clinched, MLSsoccer.com reported that he led the league with 37 goal contributions and was on pace for a third straight Landon Donovan MLS MVP award while chasing a second straight Golden Boot. He has added two goals since.

The race for second in the East

With Nashville SC far ahead at 70 points, the fight among the chasing pack is for the No. 2 seed and home-field advantage in Round One. After Saturday's matches, the Eastern Conference top five stood as follows, with New England ahead of Miami on tiebreakers:

Miami sat second with 52 points when it clinched on Oct. 14, and the loss in New Jersey let New England draw level. The two clubs meet on Nov. 1 in Foxborough, a match that could settle the seeding.

The result mattered at the other end of the table, too. New York's 39 points left the Red Bulls in the scramble for the last playoff places, chasing a group that includes FC Cincinnati at 42 points. The top seven in each conference qualify directly for Round One, while the eighth- and ninth-place teams meet in a single-elimination wild card match.

What's next for Inter Miami

Miami has three regular-season matches left, two of them at Nu Stadium, the club's new home at the Miami Freedom Park development near Miami International Airport. Miami played its last match at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on March 18 and opened the new venue on April 4:

After Decision Day, MLS pauses for the November international window. The wild card matches between the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds in each conference are Wednesday, Nov. 18, and the best-of-three Round One series run from Nov. 20 through Dec. 2, hosted home-away-home by the higher seed. The conference semifinals follow Dec. 5-6, the conference finals Dec. 11-12, and MLS Cup is Friday, Dec. 18, hosted by the finalist with the better regular-season record.

For South Florida fans, the Cincinnati match on Wednesday is the first chance to see whether a rested Messi returns to the starting lineup as Miami tries to reclaim second place.