Orlando City stuns Lionel Messi and Inter Miami, rallies from 3-0 deficit to win 4-3
Inter Miami appeared to be on its way to making history. Instead, it turned out to be Inter Miami’s worst loss of the season
After three consecutive ties in its first three matches at Nu Stadium, Inter Miami looked to be on the verge of its first-ever win at the new stadium after taking a 3-0 lead in the first half on Saturday.
But Orlando City scored the final four goals of the match to stun Inter Miami, clinching a miraculous 4-3 comeback victory on Saturday night at Nu Stadium.
“That’s the toughest thing. We still haven’t won here yet,” Inter Miami right back Ian Fray said, with the next game at Nu Stadium coming on May 17 against Portland. “This was supposed to be the game, up 3-0, that we have to close out. And we missed a huge opportunity.”
Orlando City’s game-winning goal came during extra time, as Tyrese Spicer got behind Inter Miami’s defense to score and break the 3-3 tie in the 93rd minute. Dejected Inter Miami players walked off the field in disbelief after the defeat, with the Miami crowd booing the referees after a possible foul in the box was not called on Orlando City in the final minutes of the game.
“I don’t know how the fines work, so I don’t want to get fined,” said Fray, who was not happy with the referees on Saturday. “But this guy, something needs to change. We’ve had him before and he’s made really bad decisions. But that’s all I’m going to say about the referee. We should have won the game anyway.”
It only marked Inter Miami’s second loss of the season, as it was unbeaten in its previous nine games. Inter Miami fell from second to third place in the Eastern Conference with five wins, two losses and four ties this season.
On the other side, it only marked Orlando City’s third win of the season. Even after Saturday’s victory, Orlando City is near the bottom of the East standings in 13th place with three wins, seven losses and one tie this season.
“It’s devastating, really, especially with the way we started,” Inter Miami left back Noah Allen said. “I’m almost like broken. I never try to take the game too serious, at the end of the day. I want to win. But I don’t know. I feel like my girlfriend just broke up with me, if I’m honest. It’s a horrible feeling. We have to talk, we have to regroup.”
Inter Miami interim coach Guillermo Hoyos, who took over as the head coach following the sudden departure of Javier Mascherano less than three weeks ago, didn’t want to put the blame on his players following Saturday’s defeat. He took exception to a question about Inter Miami’s defense and closed his postgame press conference following a seven-minute answer to the opening question.
“I love my players,” Hoyos said. “I care about my players because they are my kind, and you will not hear a word from me in a press conference that harms any player to save myself. Many times, I would have liked many of my coaches to defend me like that. That’s why I do what I would have liked them to do.”
Lionel Messi put together a strong first half in his 100th appearance with Inter Miami across all competitions, recording one goal, one primary assist and one secondary assist in Saturday’s first half after failing to register a goal or an assist in each of the two previous games. But it wasn’t enough, as Inter Miami went scoreless in the second half.
Inter Miami was in full control at the start of the match, scoring the first three goals to pull ahead 3-0 in the first half.
Fray opened the scoring in the fourth minute with a header, giving Inter Miami an early 1-0 advantage. It was the first goal of the season for Fray, who is a Coconut Creek native and has overcome four knee surgeries since joining Inter Miami.
Telasco Segovia picked up the primary assist on Fray’s goal, with Messi getting the secondary assist.
Inter Miami extended its lead to 2-0 on a goal from Segovia in the 25th minute. Messi (primary) and Luis Suarez (secondary) were credited with the assists on the goal.
Messi then scored his eighth goal of the season on a left-footed shot from just outside the box, bending it by Orlando City goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau in the 33rd minute to give Inter Miami a 3-0 lead. Suarez (primary) and Segovia (secondary) recorded the assists on Messi’s goal.
But Orlando City rallied to score the final four games of the match, completing the comeback.
Martin Ojeda scored Orlando City’s first three goals — the first in the 39th minute and the second in the 68th minute — to cut Inter Miami’s lead to 3-2.
Ojeda then clinched the hat trick on a penalty kick that got past Inter Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair in the 79th minute to even the score, 3-3, before Spicer’s game-winner.
The loss comes after Inter Miami dominated the first half, entering the break with a 3-1 lead and a 16-2 advantage in shots.
“We just fell apart, and it can’t happen again,” Fray said.
Fray was also mad at himself for cramping, which forced him to be substituted out of Saturday’s loss in the 66th minute.
“It’s just a sad moment for us to not win this game, especially when we’re up 3-0,” Fray continued. “As the defending [MLS] champions, we need to do a way better job of finishing out the game. I need to not cramp as well, and I need to stay and play the 90 minutes. Yeah, we’re just disappointed.”
Suarez, 39, made his second straight start on Saturday. It marked just his third start of the season.
Along with Suarez, Inter Miami went with a starting lineup of St. Clair, centre back Micael dos Santos, Fray, Allen, centre back Maxi Falcon, midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, Segovia, midfielder Yannick Bright, Suarez, Messi and right wing German Berterame.
Bright and Segovia returned to Inter Miami’s starting lineup after serving suspensions last weekend.
Inter Miami has four matches left before the MLS takes a seven-week break for the World Cup. Inter Miami’s next four games are at Toronto on Saturday, at Cincinnati on May 13, vs. Portland on May 17 and vs. Philadelphia on May 24.
But Saturday’s loss will hurt for a while, with Messi delivering a message to the team following the painful result.
“The captain spoke, and obviously, he gave us a bunch of words, encouraging us for the next game, and saying this is unacceptable, which we all agree with him,” Fray said. “It is unacceptable, and it won’t happen again, for sure.”
This story was originally published May 2, 2026 at 6:46 PM.
