Messi leads Inter Miami vs. D.C. United as team makes push for MLS Playoffs
It’s crunch time for Inter Miami.
Lionel Messi and his high-profile team have seven games remaining to climb the MLS Eastern Conference standings, secure a playoff spot, and potentially finish atop the table to defend their Supporters’ Shield.
An emphatic 3-1 home win against the Seattle Sounders on Tuesday avenged the Leagues Cup final loss and injected Miami players with confidence heading into Saturday’s home game against D.C. United.
Though D.C. has already been eliminated from the playoffs, Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano insists his team is not taking the game lightly.
“All the games in this league have their challenges, and it would be a mistake to think we’re facing a team that doesn’t care one way or the other if it wins or loses,” he said. “They may not have the incentive of having to play for [the playoffs] but they are coming to Miami to play our team, which always motivates opponents. This game is hugely important for us to get three points and get mathematically closer to the playoffs.”
Inter Miami can clinch a playoff berth with a win and a New York Red Bulls loss or tie against CF Montreal. Miami could also secure a spot with a tie and a Red Bulls tie against Montreal.
Eight points separate Miami (49 points) from Eastern Conference leader Philadelphia Union (57 points) and Miami has the benefit of three games in hand. Cincinnati is in second place with 55 points, Charlotte is third with 53, and Nashville and NYCFC have 50 points.
“We have seven games left, and we are treating them like seven finals,” Mascherano said. “We want to win all seven. Our goal is to battle Vancouver for the Supporters Shield, and we also want to prepare for what’s to come in the playoffs.”
Luis Suarez is still out, serving a three-match ban from MLS for his role in the Leagues Cup final post-match brawl. He will be eligible to return for the next game Wednesday on the road against New York City FC.
Tomas “Toto” Aviles returns from his red-card suspension. Telasco Segovia and Baltasar Rodriguez, who missed the Seattle game with minor injuries, trained with the team on Friday and are expected to be on the game roster.
Fafa Picault and David Ruiz are still battling hamstring strains sustained during national team duty and will not be available for the game. Mascherano said Picault is getting close to full fitness and the plan is for him to travel for the NYCFC and Toronto games.
Newly signed forward Mateo Silvetti was called up by Argentina for the upcoming U20 World Cup in Chile, which kicks off Sept. 27 and runs through Oct. 19. Inter Miami got permission for Silvetti to stay with the club for the D.C. and NYCFC games, and then he will travel to join the national team.
“It’s great news for [Silvetti] and for the club that he was called up, we all know how significant it is to play for your national team,” Mascherano said.
Midfielder Benja Cremaschi, the Key Biscayne native who recently went on loan from Inter Miami to Parma in Italy, was called up for the USA U20 World Cup team.
Messi, meanwhile, remains in top form at age 38 and is on the verge of signing a multi-year contract extension. He has scored 20 goals and has 11 assists in 21 MLS games. He also scored eight goals over the Concacaf Champions Cup, Club World Cup and Leagues Cup.
In other team news, defender Noah Allen, a Pembroke Pines native who came up through the Inter Miami youth academy, signed a contract extension through 2028 with an option for 2029.
Allen, who also plays for the Greek U21 team, said he has vivid memories of being in the car with his mother coming home from a youth game with Weston FC in 2019 when he found out he made the cut for the Inter Miami Youth Academy. He and his friends had all tried out and were nervous awaiting the news.
He opened an email on his phone that had a video from David Beckham congratulating him for making the academy.
“As a kid there wasn’t any homegrown that had a pathway to MLS, but now, there’s not just myself, but seeing Benja go to Italy and Ian Fray who is now a really good player on this team, David Ruiz and others,” Allen said. “It’s nice to see that what they told us in the beginning is happening now. They told us we’re the future of the team, the pathway, and now it’s exciting that we can be an example to younger academy kids.”
Asked if he will buy himself something to celebrate the new contract, he smiled and replied: “Investing, that’s the most important thing my parents taught me. Investing. Maybe dinner with my teammates at the end of the year.”
For now, his focus is on the D.C. United game. Miami has beaten D.C. the past four times they played.
“We expect nothing less than them playing really hard,” Allen said. “We’re not looking at the standings. We’re going to go out with same mentality as the Seattle game. We’re taking things game by game. We want to win every game now. We know we have to get three points. We’re three games behind everyone, so there’s no reason for us to feel anxious. Just focusing on winning game by game, that’s how you climb in MLS.”
How to Watch Inter Miami vs. D.C. United: The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale and will be shown on Apple TV MLS Season Pass. Tickets are available at intermiamicf.com/tickets
This story was originally published September 19, 2025 at 3:09 PM.