Messi, Lujan, Micael dos Santos lead Inter Miami to comeback win over NYCFC
Inter Miami needed a quick turnaround following one of their most disappointing results in recent memory.
They got it.
They needed a quick turnaround within Sunday’s match on the road at Yankee Stadium against New York City FC.
They got that too.
And it was no surprise that Lionel Messi was involved as he scored one of Inter Miami’s three goals in a much-needed 3-2 comeback win over NYCFC.
Four days after a disappointing elimination from the Concacaf Champions Cup in the Round of 16 against Nashville, Inter Miami (3-1-1, 10 points) secured three valuable points and finds itself tied with NYCFC in second place in the Eastern Conference and only three points behind Nashville as it heads into a two-week FIFA competition break before it debuts Nu Stadium on April 4 against Austin.
The club also played today without head coach Javier Mascherano, who was red carded in Miami’s scoreless draw against Charlotte on March 14. Assistant coach Leandro Stillitano coached the team in his absence.
“What happened Wednesday was a big blow for us. We had illusions of continuing on in Champions, but we told the players, we can’t change that,” Mascherano said. “We can only change what’s ahead.
“All that disappointment and sadness, we had to convert that into energy for what’s to come, and we had to respond, and I think we showed that kind of character today, and we have to continue that same approach going forward.”
It nearly went the other way had it not been for some heroics from Messi and Micael dos Santos, one of the club’s most important offseason acquisitions.
After NYCFC took a 2-1 lead on a brilliant goal by Agustin Ojeda in the 59th minute, Messi earned a free kick.
It wasn’t a glorious, signature Messi attempt, but it ricocheted off NYCFC’s Hannes Wolf and got past goalkeeper Matt Freese to level the match at 2.
Then, in the 74th minute, Dos Santos delivered the eventual game-winner when he headed home a beautiful ball from Noah Allen, which gave Inter Miami its first MLS win since March 7 at DC United.
Messi’s goal was the 901st of his career. And he nearly scored more.
Messi dinged one shot off the post in the 31st minute and hit the crossbar in the 42nd minute. He also missed wide late in the match with a chance to pad Miami’s lead.
Another of Miami’s highly-valued offseason pickups, German Berterame, did not start on Sunday, but entered the game late as a reserve.
He nearly scored his first goal with Inter Miami in the 79th minute, but the goal was nullified when Miami was ruled offside.
Inter Miami needed a lift following a deflating result earlier in the week when, following a pair of draws against Nashville, it was dismissed early from a Champions Cup tournament it had put plenty of emphasis on winning. An away goals tiebreaker sent Nashville onto the next round and Inter Miami to lick its wounds.
“It was super important… We really wanted to bounce back as quick as possible,” Inter Miami defender Ian Fray said postgame on the Apple TV broadcast. “Right now we’re just taking it game by game. We have the international break coming up so it’s a chance to rest and keep going.”
Gonzalo Lujan brought that positive energy quickly when he scored his first career MLS goal in the fourth minute of the match.
NYCFC leveled the match on a fantastic free kick goal by Nicolas Fernandez Mercau after he lifted a high shot that bounced just under the crossbar and past Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair.
NYCFC took the lead when Maxi Moralez sent a through ball up the middle to Ojeda, who then shot it past St. Clair on a free run.
Inter Miami played without midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, who is dealing with an injury, and Sergio Reguilon also sat out with a hamstring injury.
This story was originally published March 22, 2026 at 1:22 PM.
