Messi’s Argentina farewell was not the end of his football story
Four days after his final appearance for Argentina, Lionel Messi returned to club football with two goals as Inter Miami beat D.C. United 4–0. At 39, the captain offered a vivid reminder that leaving the international stage does not mean losing the ability to decide a match. His movement, control and finishing remained the centre of Miami’s attacking story.
Inter Miami 4–0 D.C. United: when was the match?
The MLS fixture took place on Saturday night, October 10, 2026, at Nu Stadium in Miami. For supporters following from Türkiye and much of the Arab region, it fell in the early hours of Sunday, October 11. Luis Suárez scored twice before half-time; Messi added two more after the break. Miami led 2–0 at the interval.
All four goals
| Minute | Scorer | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 3′ | Luis Suárez | 1–0 |
| 39′ | Luis Suárez | 2–0 |
| 47′ | Lionel Messi | 3–0 |
| 60′ | Lionel Messi | 4–0 |
Messi’s first goal: timing and the familiar Suárez connection
Messi made it 3–0 in the 47th minute, finishing left-footed from Suárez’s delivery. The appeal of the goal lay in its economy: find the space, meet the pass and finish before the defence can recover. Their partnership still makes difficult attacking situations look simple. Suárez had already done his own damage with goals in the third and 39th minutes, both assisted by Germán Berterame.
His second goal: the dribble that completed the brace
In the 60th minute, Messi received Rodrigo De Paul’s pass, beat two defenders and placed a left-footed shot into the bottom-right corner. This was the more individual of his two goals: close control, a change of direction and a composed finish. It is the kind of sequence that explains his lasting appeal better than a list of honours. Messi played the full 90 minutes.
23 MLS goals: praise supported by performance
The brace took Messi to 23 goals in the 2026 MLS regular season, leading the scoring race. That total is for this league campaign, not his entire year across all competitions. Admiration is easy to express; the stronger case here is concrete. He supplied two different solutions in one half: arriving to finish a team move, then creating space against defenders himself. His influence was visible in what he produced on the pitch.
What the win means for Inter Miami
Miami ended a five-match league run without a victory and reached 49 points from 28 games. The team moved into second place in the Eastern Conference at the end of the match. Dayne St. Clair kept a clean sheet, while Suárez’s brace and Berterame’s two assists deserve their share of the credit. Messi led the headlines, but this was a collective response to a difficult run.
International retirement, not retirement from football
Messi’s final Argentina appearance came on October 6 against Benin at the Monumental in Buenos Aires. He scored once and provided two assists in a 3–0 win. That farewell closed his national-team career; his Inter Miami career continues. His immediate return to scoring gives supporters a new chapter to follow rather than a final curtain.
Why this Messi performance deserves to be enjoyed
The best tribute to Messi is to describe the football accurately. This match combined sharp positioning, a familiar partnership and an individual dribble finished with precision. It was not proof that every future game will look the same. It was a compelling night from a player whose intelligence still turns small openings into decisive moments. Argentina has said goodbye to its captain; club supporters can still watch his craft at work.
Frequently asked questions
How many goals did Messi score against D.C. United? Two, in the 47th and 60th minutes. What was the final score? Inter Miami 4–0 D.C. United. Was this his first club match after the Argentina farewell? Yes. Has Messi retired from all football? No: the retirement was international, and he continues playing for Inter Miami.
Read our report on Messi’s final Argentina match
Sources
- Inter Miami: match report
- MLS: goals and highlights
- Inter Miami: Argentina farewell
- D.C. United: post-match facts
- Field Level Media: match report
- Associated Press / ABC News
- AFP / The Daily Star
Archive photograph of Messi with Inter Miami, July 9, 2025; not from this match. Photo: Bryan Berlin / Wikimedia Commons. Resized and converted to WebP. Original / المصدر / Kaynak · CC BY-SA 4.0
