Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF celebrates after scoring the team’s first goal during the Conference Semifinal match between FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami FC as part of the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs at TQL Stadium on November 23, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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CINCINNATI
Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates arrived at TQL Stadium on a crisp sunny Sunday afternoon, determined to avenge an embarrassing summer loss there and extend their post-season by beating FC Cincinnati in the Eastern Conference Semifinal.
Led by a master class performance from the Argentine icon, they did that, and then some.
Inter Miami overwhelmed Cincinnati 4-0 to advance to the Eastern Conference Final next weekend, when they will play either the Philadelphia Union or New York City FC.
Messi scored the first goal and delivered three assists. Tadeo Allende had a brace and Mateo Silvetti scored in place of Luis Suarez, who was left out of the starting lineup.
A sea of home fans decked head to toe in blue and orange marched to the stadium through the West End streets chanting “Go FCC!”, banging drums, and waving giant flags as a cloud of orange smoke enveloped the neighborhood.
Unlike other venues where Messi plays, very few fans in Cincinnati show up at games in pink No. 10 shirts. They wear their team colors proudly. The only visible pink patch at the stadium was Section 225, where 60 or so La Familia Inter Miami supporters who flew up for the game were seated.
And that pink group of fans were the only ones cheering in the 19th minute, when Messi headed in the first goal of the game to give Inter Miami a 1-0 lead. Jordi Alba won a ball near midfield and got the attack going, passing the ball to Messi, who sent it wide left to Silvetti, who sent a perfect cross back to Messi, who made the clinical finish.
It was Messi’s 30th header of his career, and the sixth goal in the past four games for the MLS Golden Boot winner.
“Between the ears he’s operating at a different level,” Apple TV analyst Taylor Twellman said of the Argentine icon.
The fact that 19-year-old Silvetti had the assist was significant because he was a surprise starter in place of Suarez, who was left out of the lineup.
The news was unexpected, especially because the club posted a photo of Suarez alone on Instagram six hours before kickoff with the caption: “Semifinal time. Let’s go.”
Also, when Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano was asked by media on Saturday about the possibility of Suarez coming off the bench, the coach spoke of the Uruguayan legend’s many virtues.
Suarez was suspended from the previous game, which Miami won 4-0 over Nashville SC to advance to the knockout game at Cincinnati. He was replaced by Silvetti, who added pace and a new dynamic to the team’s attack.
Inter Miami played “a near-perfect game” in the win over Nashville, Mascherano said after that game, and mentioned that Silvetti played well.
But when asked if he might keep that same lineup for the Cincinnati game, Mascherano said Saturday: “We have played 55 games this season, won 31 of those, and the majority of those were with Luis on the field. I am not going to discuss one player over another, and I think it would be disrespectful to Luis Suarez’s storied career. No two games are the same. Cincinnati is not Nashville. Sunday you’ll see what I decide.”
His decision to star Silvetti proved to be a wise one.
The teenager, who was a standout for Argentina at the recent U20 World Cup, brought energy on both ends of the field all night. He scored a scorcher from the left side to put Miami up 2-0 at the 57-minute mark. Tadeo Allende started the sequence, and Messi (who else?) provided the perfect assist.
Silvetti got huge hugs from his teammates and then, wearing a huge smile, took a bow toward the stands.
Five minutes later, it was Allende’s turn to join the scoring party. Messi sent a deep through ball to his fellow Argentine, who dribbled into the box untouched and drilled the ball into the net. Cincinnati goalkeeper Roman Celentano was left grumbling.
And, Celentano’s night would get worse. Allended scored a second goal to make it 4-0 in the 74th minute.
The Inter Miami starting lineup included Rocco Rios Novo at goalkeeper; Marcelo Weigandt, Maxi Falcon, Noah Allen and Jordi Alba in defense; Sergio Busquets, Rodrigo De Paul, Baltasar Rodriguez, Mateo Silvetti in midfield; Messi and Tadeo Allende as strikers. Weigandt started in place of Ian Fray, who had been starting of late, but did not make the roster due to a slight injury suffered while he was with the Jamaican national team last week.
Allen went out with an injury in the 71st minute and was replaced by Tomas Aviles. Five minutes later, Suarez entered the game for Allende and Telasco Segovia replaced Rodriguez. Yannick Bright went on for Alba at the 81-minute mark.
Cincinnati’s starters were Celentano at goalkeeper; Nick Hagglund, Miles Robinson and Teenage Hadebe at defense; Evander, Samuel Gidi, Pavel Bunch, Lukas Engel, and Ender Echeniuque at midfield; Brenner and Kevin Denkey at striker.
The weather was perfect, 52 degrees and not a cloud in the sky.
After falling far short of expectations last season with a first-round playoff exit, Messi and his teammates advanced to the knockout round for the first time in the club’s six-year history and is hungry for more.
Sunday’s game had extra significance because it was potentially the final game in the careers of former FC Barcelona stars Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. They both announced retiring at the end of the Inter Miami season. A trophy would be the perfect send off.
The two players’ wives and children were at TQL Stadium for the occasion, as were club owners Jorge and Jose Mas.
Heading into Sunday’s game, FCC had outscored Miami 9-1 in the two previous home games at TQL Stadium.
The most recent was a 3-0 win over a full Miami roster in July as Evander scored a brace for the home team.
In July 2024, Cincinnati routed a heavily depleted Inter Miami team 6-1. Messi and Suarez were missing for Copa America. Alba and Diego Gomez were suspended for yellow card accumulation. Matias Rojas was injured and Busquets was red-carded midway through the second half.
In the most recent match, on July 26, the game ended in a scoreless draw.
The winner of Sunday’s match will take on the winner of No. 1 seed Philadelphia Union vs. No. 5 New York City FC (7:45 p.m. Sunday night) in the Eastern Conference Final next weekend.
This story was originally published November 23, 2025 at 5:19 PM.
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Michelle Kaufman
Miami Herald
Miami Herald sportswriter Michelle Kaufman has covered 14 Olympics, six World Cups, Wimbledon, U.S. Open, NCAA Basketball Tournaments, NBA Playoffs, Super Bowls and has been the soccer writer and University of Miami basketball beat writer for 25 years. She was born in Frederick, Md., and grew up in Miami.
