Lionel Messi’s Hat Trick Secures Inter Miami’s 5-2 Comeback Win Over Nashville SC, All But Clinching MLS Golden Boot
Lionel Messi delivered a sensational performance on MLS Decision Day, scoring his second career MLS hat trick to power Inter Miami CF to a thrilling 5-2 comeback victory over Nashville SC. The win secured the third seed in the Eastern Conference for Inter Miami, setting up a first-round playoff rematch with the same Nashville side.
The Argentine superstar, a leading candidate for the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award, entered the final match of the regular season with a narrow lead in the Golden Boot race over Los Angeles FC’s Denis Bouanga. Messi’s explosive three-goal display—which included a spectacular opener from outside the box, a composed penalty, and a clinical left-footed finish—catapulted his final season tally to 29 goals.
The victory was a story of two halves. Inter Miami found themselves trailing 2-1 at halftime after Nashville’s Sam Surridge and Jacob Shaffelburg overturned Messi’s initial strike. However, the second half became the Messi show. He converted a penalty in the 63rd minute to tie the game, and after Baltasar Rodríguez gave Miami the lead, Messi completed his hat trick in the 81st minute, extending the lead to 4-2. Telasco Segovia added a fifth goal in stoppage time to cement the rout.
With a five-goal lead over the league’s second-leading scorer (Denis Bouanga, 24 goals), Messi has virtually locked up his first MLS Golden Boot award, capping off a remarkable season of individual achievement and setting new MLS records for multi-goal games.
Lionel Messi scored his second career MLS hat trick in Inter Miami’s 5-2 victory over Nashville SC on MLS Decision Day (October 18, 2025), virtually clinching the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi for the 2025 season. He finished the regular season with 29 goals, five ahead of his closest competitor, Denis Bouanga.
Key Points
- Match Result: Inter Miami defeated Nashville SC 5-2 on MLS Decision Day (October 18, 2025) at Geodis Park.
- Messi’s Performance: Lionel Messi scored a hat trick (his second in MLS) and added an assist, totaling four goal contributions.
- Goal Breakdown:
- Nashville took a 2-1 lead into halftime.
- Messi scored his first goal from a shot from the top of the box in the 35th minute.
- He converted a penalty kick in the 63rd minute to tie the game at 2-2.
- He completed his hat trick in the 81st minute with a left-footed shot from the center of the box to make it 4-2.
- He also assisted Telasco Segovia’s final goal in stoppage time.
- Golden Boot Race: The hat trick gave Messi a final regular season tally of 29 goals (in 27 appearances), putting him five goals ahead of his closest rival, Denis Bouanga (LAFC), and effectively clinching the 2025 MLS Golden Boot award.
- Records/Milestones: Messi finished the season with 48 total goal contributions (29 goals, 19 assists), just one shy of Carlos Vela’s all-time MLS single-season record of 49. He also became the first player in MLS history to produce nine multi-goal games in a single regular season.
- Team Impact: The win secured the No. 3 seed for Inter Miami in the Eastern Conference playoffs, where they will face No. 6 seed Nashville SC again in the first round.
