October 19, (THEWILL) — Lionel Messi delivered a decisive performance in Inter Miami’s final regular season match, netting three goals and providing one assist during a 5-2 victory against Nashville SC. The 38-year-old’s contribution brought his 2025 season total to 48 goal involvements, comprising 29 goals and 19 assists, leaving him one short of Carlos Vela’s 2019 MLS single-season record of 49 with LAFC.
The Argentine forward opened the scoring in the 35th minute with a curled finish from distance before converting a penalty in the 63rd minute. He completed his hat-trick in the 81st minute and later set up Telasco Segovia for Miami’s fifth goal in stoppage time. His 29 goals mark the first time since Vela’s 2019 campaign that a player has exceeded 23 goals in an MLS season, representing a notable increase from Christian Benteke’s 23 goals in 2024.
Inter Miami’s offensive output reached 81 goals in 2025, making them only the third team in league history to surpass 80 goals in a single season. The tally stands behind LA Galaxy’s 85 goals in 1998 and LAFC’s matching total in 2019, whilst also exceeding Miami’s previous club record by two goals. The Herons surpassed their earlier Supporters’ Shield-winning side to establish a new franchise benchmark.
Messi’s assist total of 19 gave him the edge over San Diego FC’s Anders Dreyer in that category, though Dreyer’s regular season remains incomplete ahead of his side’s final fixture. The performance appeared to confirm Messi’s claim to the Golden Boot ahead of closest rival Denis Bouanga, who had yet to play his Decision Day match against Colorado Rapids at the time of Miami’s victory.
The result confirmed Inter Miami’s position in third place in the Eastern Conference standings, setting up a first-round playoff series against Nashville SC. The best-of-three opening round will see the two sides meet at least twice more following their regular season encounter.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
