Inter Miami Turn It Around at New England as Lionel Messi Seals Dramatic 2-1 Comeback

Inter Miami CF produced another late show of quality on Sunday night, coming from behind to defeat the New England Revolution 2-1 at Gillette Stadium. Dániel Gazdag gave the hosts the lead early in the second half, but Germán Berterame equalised before Lionel Messi completed the comeback with a decisive 83rd-minute finish.

The result underlined Inter Miami’s ability to find solutions when matches become difficult. New England controlled more of the ball and created enough pressure to make the visitors uncomfortable, yet Miami were more clinical when the biggest moments arrived. In front of 54,112 supporters, the Herons showed patience, character and attacking quality to leave Massachusetts with three points.

The first half ends without a breakthrough

The opening 45 minutes were competitive, with neither side able to turn promising situations into a goal. New England enjoyed a good share of possession and attempted to push Miami backwards, while the visitors looked dangerous whenever Messi and Berterame found room in the attacking areas.

Miami came closest in the 28th minute. Berterame received the ball on the left side of the box and struck a left-footed effort toward goal, but New England goalkeeper Matt Turner reacted quickly to make an important save. It was a warning that the Revolution could not afford to give the Argentine superstar and his teammates too much space.

New England had their own opportunity nine minutes later. Peyton Miller drove toward the byline and sent a cutback toward Brooklyn Raines around the penalty spot, but the midfielder could not keep his effort below the crossbar. The home side ended the first half with the stronger attacking numbers, although the score remained 0-0.

Gazdag gives Revolution the advantage

The game changed eight minutes after the restart. New England worked the ball forward through Miller, whose determined run toward the end line opened the opportunity. He managed to get beyond his defender before finding Ilay Feingold, who redirected the ball into the path of Gazdag.

The Hungarian midfielder made no mistake, firing beyond Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair to put the Revolution 1-0 ahead in the 53rd minute. It was Gazdag’s second goal in as many matches and gave the home crowd plenty of reason to believe that New England could finish their regular-season home finale with a major result.

Miami, however, did not panic. The visitors began to increase the pressure and spent more time around the New England penalty area. Messi became increasingly involved, looking for spaces between the lines and attempting to bring Berterame and the supporting midfielders into the attack.

The equaliser arrives through Messi and Berterame

Miami’s persistence finally paid off in the 69th minute. Telasco Segovia delivered a lofted ball into the box, and Messi helped keep the move alive with a header back toward the danger area. Berterame attacked the opportunity and powered a header into the net to make it 1-1.

The goal was significant for both players. Berterame reached 10 regular-season goals, while Messi recorded his 16th league assist. More importantly, the equaliser completely changed the mood of the contest.

New England had worked hard to protect their advantage, but suddenly the pressure shifted back toward their own goal. Miami sensed that the comeback was possible, and the visitors continued looking for the decisive opening rather than settling for a draw.

Messi produces the winning moment

The decisive moment came in the 83rd minute, and once again Messi was at the centre of it. Luis Suárez helped begin the move by finding Messi in a central position outside the box. The Inter Miami captain then drove forward, worked his way beyond multiple defenders and combined with Segovia as the attack entered the penalty area.

Messi eventually found the space he needed and sent a low left-footed shot toward the bottom-right corner. The finish beat Turner and completed a 2-1 comeback that had looked unlikely when Gazdag put New England ahead.

It was the type of goal that has become familiar throughout Messi’s career: calm decision-making, close control and the ability to produce a telling action when the match is balanced on a knife edge. The strike also moved Messi to 26 MLS goals for the season, strengthening his position at the top of the Golden Boot race.

New England pushed for an answer during the closing stages, but Miami managed the final minutes effectively. Changes were made on both sides as fatigue set in, yet the visitors kept their lead until the final whistle.

The numbers tell an interesting story

The statistics showed why this was far from a straightforward win for Inter Miami. New England finished with 54 percent possession compared with Miami’s 46 percent and registered 13 shots to the visitors’ 14. The Revolution also produced seven corners, while Miami had only one.

However, Miami had the sharper edge when it mattered. The visitors recorded six shots on target compared with New England’s three, giving Turner considerably more work to do than St. Clair. New England also had six blocked shots, illustrating how often their attempts were prevented from reaching the goalkeeper.

The match was therefore not about Miami dominating from start to finish. Instead, it was about the visitors surviving difficult periods before taking advantage of their best attacking opportunities. That ability to remain composed while trailing was one of the biggest reasons they left with the victory.

Messi the clear Man of the Match

Lionel Messi was the standout performer and deservedly took the Man of the Match honour. His influence went beyond the winning goal, as he also supplied the assist for Berterame’s equaliser and repeatedly provided the creativity Miami needed after falling behind. Match data rated Messi as the game’s top performer with a 9.0 rating.

His contribution in the 69th minute demonstrated his awareness. Rather than trying to force a shot, Messi helped create the opening for Berterame, turning a difficult attacking situation into a clear scoring chance. Fourteen minutes later, he took responsibility himself and delivered the goal that decided the contest.

The Argentine finished with one goal and one assist, while his movement consistently demanded attention from the New England defence. His performance combined creativity with the decisive finishing that Inter Miami needed at a crucial stage of the match.

Berterame also deserves significant credit. His equaliser was his 10th league goal and gave Miami the platform from which Messi could produce the winner. Segovia was another important figure, providing the assist for Messi and playing a key role in the attacking combination that changed the match.

A valuable result for Miami

The victory carried importance beyond the three points. Inter Miami moved to 59 points with the win, edging ahead of New England, who remained on 58. The result also secured Miami a place in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup, adding another achievement to an increasingly productive campaign.

For New England, the defeat was a painful conclusion to their regular-season home schedule. They competed well, took the lead and forced Miami to work for every opening, but the Revolution could not hold on once the visitors found their rhythm.

Ultimately, the night belonged to Inter Miami and, above all, Messi. New England had the possession, the early momentum and the lead, but Miami had the decisive moments. Berterame’s header restored belief, while Messi’s late strike delivered the comeback.

For a team heading into the final stretch of the MLS season, that resilience could prove valuable. Inter Miami did not win by overwhelming their opponent; they won by staying composed, trusting their attacking talent and making the most of the opportunities that arrived. In a match decided by fine margins, Messi once again provided the difference.