Inter Miami are heading into the final four games of the 2025 MLS season with Lionel Messi leading the charge. The Argentine superstar is driving the team’s momentum as they gear up for the playoffs.
Messi has scored two or more goals in eight of Inter Miami’s last 13 matches, becoming just the fourth player in MLS history to record multiple goals in eight games during a single season.
While the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner is performing at a high level still despite his age, Messi and Inter Miami know that it’s championship or bust. ESPN Deportes’ José del Valle believes that if the South Florida club doesn’t win the MLS title this season, it’s a failure for Messi regardless of the numbers he’s producing.
“The expectation is clear: The title,” del Valle said on “Es Así y Punto.” “Regular-season records, whether team or individual, don’t carry weight. Messi was brought in to win the MLS Cup, and if he doesn’t, it will be seen as a major failure. That’s the reality. The league may stumble, but Messi doesn’t. He’s on a completely different level from the rest of MLS.
“Since his arrival, he’s exposed how poorly organized many teams are defensively and how vulnerable their backlines can be—Messi has taken full advantage of that. Still, if he falls short of the title, there’s no avoiding the criticism over the price Inter Miami paid for him.”
Inter Miami players are enjoying the form of Lionel Messi
Credit: Imago Images
While on the outside they debate Inter Miami’s 2025 season as the playoffs near, in the dressing room it’s different. Veteran defender Maximiliano Falcón stated that he’s enjoying this recent performance from Messi as the former FC Barcelona star appears to be putting the team on his back.
“His age and yet he still maintains his quality,” Falcón said (h/t Miami Total Futbol). “It’s always a pleasure to have him there, to be able to pass to him or, even under pressure, know that he’s the best option, the first option.
“We know he very rarely loses the ball, and it’s something nice for us as defenders—it encourages us a bit more to try to play out from the back, right? And to thread those passes that sometimes are risky when playing with a midfielder facing backward and marked so high, but because of who he is, we trust him completely.”
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