Legendary FIFA World Cup winning striker Lionel Messi continued his red-hot form, delivering a masterclass performance as Inter Miami crushed the New York Red Bulls 5-1 in their Major League Soccer (MLS) match on early Sunday morning, July 20, 2025, in Harrison, New Jersey. Messi was instrumental in the dominant victory, scoring two goals and providing two crucial assists, marking his sixth brace in the past seven outings.

Despite an early lead from the New York Red Bulls, the 2024 MLS Cup finalists, Inter Miami responded with overwhelming force. Alexander Hack put the Red Bulls ahead in the 14th or 15th minute of the game. However, Inter Miami quickly leveled the scores in the 24th minute when Jordi Alba netted his first goal of the 2025 regular season with a powerful strike from a tight angle, assisted by Messi, which was his eighth assist of the MLS season.

The momentum continued for Inter Miami as Telasco Segovia scored his first goal in the 27th minute, also with a Messi assist, finishing calmly from the center of the box after Messi clipped the ball to Alba, who then squared it. Segovia then added his second goal just before half-time, extending Inter Miami's lead to 3-1 at the break.

In the second half, the maestro, Lionel Messi, produced his much-anticipated first goal of the match in the 60th minute, rounding the goalkeeper and slotting the ball in after a smooth team move, which saw Alba head the ball to Busquets, who provided a clever through pass. Messi wasn't done yet; 15 minutes later, in the 75th minute, Benjamin Cremaschi was introduced and found Luis Suarez, who crossed the ball to Messi. The Argentine superstar then smashed a half-volley into the net, sealing the 5-1 victory and marking his 18th league goal of the season.

With this performance, Messi’s goal tally for the ongoing MLS season has reached 18, and he has directly contributed to 27 goals. He now leads the Golden Boot race. Since joining the American club in the summer of 2023, Messi has scored a total of 40 goals for Inter Miami. This historic performance also saw him become just the fifth player in MLS history to record at least 35 goals and 25 assists over a two-year span, joining an elite group that includes Robbie Keane, Sebastian Giovinco, Carlos Vela, and Cucho Hernández.

The commanding win places Inter Miami in the fifth spot in the league table, with 41 points from 12 wins, five draws, and four losses. They are currently seven points behind table-toppers FC Cincinnati, who have accumulated 15 wins, three draws, and six losses in 24 matches.