Messi, Inter Miami beat Seattle Sounders in Leagues Cup final rematch

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — It was a result Lionel Messi and Inter Miami should have secured on the road against the Seattle Sounders 16 days ago.

Still, it’s a positive sign they’ve gotten back on track. And another historic night for Messi in Major League Soccer.

Messi scored a sliding goal shortly before halftime, and assisted Jordi Alba’s goal early in the first half to help Inter Miami defeat the Seattle Sounders, 3-1, at Chase Stadium on Tuesday, Sept. 16

Messi has scored 20 MLS goals this season, becoming the fifth player in MLS history to score as many goals in consecutive seasons – joining David Villa (2016-17), Josef Martínez (2018-19), Zlatan Ibrahimović (2018-19) and LAFC’s Denis Bouanga (2023-24).

Messi assisted Jordi Alba’s goal in the 12th minute – retaking the Inter Miami franchise lead with his 29th assist in his 75th match for the club.

Ian Fray scored a header on a corner kick from Rodrigo De Paul in the second half to help Inter Miami beat Seattle in an MLS regular-season rematch of their Leagues Cup final.

More important, Inter Miami improves from eighth to fifth place in the MLS Eastern Conference standings with 45 points after the victory, in which Luis Suarez (suspension) was among seven players unavailable.

“It’s clearly an important victory — a necessary one,” Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said. ‘I think it was important, beyond bouncing back from that defeat, to try to get back to feeling good, to get back to winning against a great rival, who took away our chance of winning a competition a couple of weeks ago.

“We played the game we had to play, with the difficulties we’ve been having. We pulled it off, and that allows us to move up in the standings, and get closer and closer to qualifying for the playoffs.”

Inter Miami fell 3-0 to Seattle in the Leagues Cup final on Aug. 31, dropping another opportunity to lift a trophy during the 2025 season.

The match was an ugly moment in Inter Miami’s Messi era as Suarez spat on a Sounders staff member in a postgame scuffle between both teams. Suarez has one match remaining on a three-game MLS suspension.

Obed Vargas, the player who Suarez first confronted and was jabbed by Sergio Busquets in the scuffle, scored for Seattle in the 69th minute of the match.

Inter Miami downplayed any revenge factor in this one, instead focusing on securing three points in the standings from a victory to pursue their remaining goals this season.

Inter Miami can contend for the 2025 MLS Supporters’ Shield – the regular-season title they won last year – and the MLS Cup title with a playoff push that ended in the first round last season.

Messi’s return to form after a hamstring injury last month will be key in both endeavors as Inter Miami completed its second of seven matches in a 22-day stretch.

Messi pushed the pace to assist Alba’s goal in the 12th minute after a steal by Yannick Bright in the midfield.

Messi missed a shot off the left post in the 28th minute – his third miss in as many games with Inter Miami – where it appeared he missed a relatively easy shot that he could, or should, have made.

Inter Miami lost the previous two matches by scores of 3-0 each – against Seattle, and at Charlotte on Saturday, Sept. 13.

Messi eventually scored in the 41st minute, providing a sliding finish into the back corner of the net on a cross by Alba.

Messi trails Nashville SC’s Sam Surridge (21 goals) for the MLS Golden Boot lead, while his 31 goal contributions this season trails San Diego FC’s Anders Dreyer for the league lead.

Messi and Inter Miami return to action against D.C. United on Saturday, Sept. 20.

USA TODAY Sports provided updates and highlights from the Inter Miami vs. Seattle match Tuesday night:

Inter Miami vs. Seattle Sounders highlights

Inter Miami 3, Seattle 1: Seattle’s Obed Vargas scores in 69th minute

Seattle’s Obed Vargas, who was at the focal point of their Leagues Cup scuffle against Inter Miami, scored in the 69th minute on an assist from Jordan Morris.

Inter Miami 3, Seattle 0: Ian Fray scores header goal

Inter Miami’s Ian Fray scored in the 52nd minute, finishing with a header in front of the net after a corner kick from Rodrigo De Paul.

Inter Miami 2, Seattle 0: Messi scores sliding goal to double lead

Lionel Messi has found the back of the net again, sliding to score a goal in the 41st minute and doubling Inter Miami’s lead against Seattle. Messi scored following a stellar pass ahead of the defense by Jordi Alba.

It’s the 20th MLS goal of the season for Messi, who also has an assist in this match.

Inter Miami 1, Seattle 0: Messi misses off the left post

Messi missed what should have been an easy goal, using the inside of his left foot to hit the left post in the 28th minute. Messi received a long pass from Sergio Busquets, and allowed two Seattle defenders to close in to remain onsides. However, he was unable to provide the finish.

Inter Miami 1, Seattle 0: Messi assists Jordi Alba in the 12th minute

Jordi Alba scored for Inter Miami, providing the finish on an assist by Lionel Messi in the 12th minute to take a 1-0 lead against the Seattle Sounders.

The play was sparked by a takeaway from midfielder Yannick Bright as Messi pushed the pace on the possession with Alba streaking down the left side.

Messi in Inter Miami starting lineup vs. Seattle Sounders

Messi arrives to Inter Miami match

Is Messi playing today?

Messi is expected to play against Seattle. His status will be confirmed when Inter Miami announces its starting lineup before the match.

What time is Inter Miami vs. Seattle match?

The match begins at 7:30 p.m. ET (8:30 p.m. in Argentina).

Watch MLS Season Pass on Apple TV

How to watch Inter Miami vs. Seattle match?

The match will be available to live stream on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.

Buy Inter Miami tickets on StubHub

Inter Miami vs. Seattle betting odds

Here are the betting odds, according to BETMGM.

Inter Miami: +100
Draw: +280
Seattle: +220
Over/under: 3.5 goals

Here’s the latest on Messi

Messi missed a Panenka penalty kick, which inspired Charlotte’s 3-0 win on Sept. 13. It was a quirky miss as he tried to trick MLS goalkeeper of the year Kristian Khalina on the play. Charlotte’s Idan Toklomati scored a hat trick in the win.

A positive for Messi: The Argentine World Cup champion appears healthy again after a hamstring injury hampered him in August.

What to know about Inter Miami and Seattle

Inter Miami will play its second match in a stretch of seven in 22 days. They’ll also be without Luis Suarez, who will miss his second match in a three-game MLS suspension after spitting on a Seattle staff member after the Leagues Cup loss. Suarez was also issued a six-match Leagues Cup suspension for the incident.

Inter Miami has fallen to eighth in the MLS Eastern Conference standings with 46 points from 26 matches this season, but has four matches in hand to play after participating in the Club World Cup and Leagues Cup. While they can make up ground in the standings, they also need to win to do so. They’ve been outscored 6-0 in their last two matches.

The Sounders were on a roll winning Leagues Cup, but settled for a 2-2 draw against the Los Angeles Galaxy last Saturday. Seattle is fourth in the West behind San Diego, Minnesota and Vancouver.

However, Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano insists tempers will be lighter in this MLS regular season match after their Leagues Cup scuffle.

“That’s in the past. Games don’t repeat themselves, even if we face the same opponent, it’s a different type of game due to a different competition, different circumstances, and different context,” Mascherano told reporters on Monday.

“What’s important for us is trying to play a good game and, above all, get a good result, so we can get a win again to get back into the top positions and, above all, to rebuild the confidence this team has had.”

Will Messi play in 2026 World Cup?

Messi has yet to declare whether he will play in the World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer. But he did offer some insight after the Argentina match earlier this month.

“Because of my age, the most logical thing is that I won’t make it. But well, we’re almost there so I’m excited and motivated to play it,” Messi said on Sept. 4.

“Like I always say, I go day by day, match by match. That’s it taking it day by day, going by how I feel. Day by day, trying to feel good and above all, being honest with myself,” Messi added.

“When I feel good, I enjoy it. But when I don’t, honestly, I don’t have a good time, so I prefer not to be there if I don’t feel good. So, we’ll see. I haven’t made a decision about the World Cup.”

Messi added: “Match by match, I’ll finish the season, then I’ll have preseason, and there will be six months left. So, we’ll see how I feel. Hopefully I’ll have a good preseason in 2026, and finish this MLS season well, and then I’ll decide.”

Messi’s upcoming schedule with Inter Miami

Sept. 20: Inter Miami vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 24: New York City FC vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 27: Toronto FC vs. Inter Miami, 4:30 p.m.
Sept. 30: Inter Miami vs. Chicago Fire, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 4: Inter Miami vs. New England, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 11: Inter Miami vs. Atlanta United, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 18: Nashville vs. Inter Miami, 6 p.m.