This Saturday, Inter Miami secured their second consecutive victory of the 2026 MLS season with a 2-1 win over DC United in Baltimore. Rodrigo De Paul opened the scoring, while Lionel Messi extended the lead with his 899th career goal.
From the start, the roles of both teams were clear. Inter Miami quickly imposed their style and dominated possession, forcing their opponents to sit back and rely on counterattacks to try to create chances. However, the hosts struggled to do so and failed to neutralize the strengths of the Herons.
The opener came in the 17th minute, when German Berterame recovered the ball near the opponent’s box. The Mexican forward quickly passed to Telasco Segovia, who set up Rodrigo De Paul to comfortably control the ball and finish with a precise right-footed strike.
Not satisfied with just one, Inter Miami went for more 10 minutes later. Mateo Silvetti assisted Lionel Messi, who controlled the ball inside the box and delicately finished over goalkeeper Sean Johnson.
After halftime, the visitors seemed to relax, confident in their two-goal advantage. DC United took advantage, creating several chances until Tai Baribo capitalized on a rebound inside the box to cut the deficit. In the final minutes, the Herons faced tense moments but held on for an important win to climb the standings.
When can Messi score his 900th goal?
Having reached just one goal shy of 900 in his professional career, Lionel Messi will soon have the chance to hit that milestone. On Wednesday, Inter Miami are set to visit Nashville SC for the first leg of the Round of 16 in the Concacaf Champions Cup, while next Saturday they will face Charlotte FC in MLS play.
Full-time!
Inter Miami secure a 2-1 victory over DC United.
92’ – Two chances for Inter Miami! (1-2)
First Berterame and then De Paul missed clear opportunities.
90’ – Five minutes of added time (1-2)
The match will continue until the 95th minute.
88’ – Substitution for Inter Miami (1-2)
Gonzalo Lujan came on for Telasco Segovia.
86’ – St. Clair booked (1-2)
Inter Miami’s goalkeeper received a yellow card for time-wasting.
81’ – Another substitution for DC United (1-2)
Caden Clark replaced Jackson Hopkins.
Baribo’s goal
After a turnover in midfield, Inter Miami couldn’t stop the hosts’ advance. Dayne St. Clair saved the first shot, but he couldn’t prevent Baribo from scoring.
74’ – GOOOAAAL FOR DC UNITED!! (1-2)
Tai Baribo scored for the hosts.
71’ – First substitution for Inter Miami (0-2)
Tadeo Allende replaced Mateo Silvetti.
69’ – Another chance for the hosts (0-2)
Louis Munteanu headed the ball, but goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair got a hand to it.
63’ – DC United come close! (0-2)
Louis Munteanu performed a flick inside the box, but the ball went just wide.
61’ – DC United make substitutions (0-2)
Louis Munteanu and Nikola Markovic replaced Gabriel Pirani and Brandon Servania.
57’ – First yellow card of the match (0-2)
Joao Peglow was booked for a foul on De Paul.
52’ – Same rhythm continues (0-2)
At the start of the second half, Inter Miami are still comfortably controlling possession.
Second half underway!
Inter Miami are still leading 2-0 against DC United.
Halftime!
Inter Miami are leading 2-0 against DC United.
45’ – Two minutes of added time (0-2)
The first half will run until the 47th minute.
37’ – Messi comes close! (0-2)
Leo dribbled past two defenders and, following a rebound, took a shot from outside the box. The ball went just wide.
Messi approaches 900 career goals
The goal he just scored against DC United is Messi’s 899th in his professional career. If he scores another, he will become only the second player in history to reach 900, after Cristiano Ronaldo.
Messi’s goal
The Argentine forward scored with a delicate finish following an assist from Silvetti.
27’ – GOOOOOAAAAL FOR INTER MIAMI! (0-2)
Lionel Messi doubles the lead for the Herons.
25’ – Another chance for De Paul (0-1)
The scorer of the opener tried again with a right-footed shot, but this time the ball went wide.
Rodrigo De Paul's goal
The Argentine midfielder scored following a ball recovered by Berterame and an assist from Segovia.
15’ – GOOOOAAAAL FOR INTER MIAMI! (0-1)
Rodrigo De Paul received the ball inside the box and scored with a powerful strike.
15’ – Chance for DC United! (0-0)
Hopkins fired a shot from outside the box, but goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair gathered it safely.
13’ – Limited involvement from Messi (0-0)
Inter Miami’s lack of precision has prevented the Argentine forward from getting regularly involved in the game so far.
7’ – First chance for the Herons (0-0)
Rodrigo De Paul fired a shot from outside the box, and goalkeeper Sean Johnson controlled the ball.
5’ – Inter Miami control possession (0-0)
In the opening minutes, the Herons have most of the possession, but so far without much attacking threat.
The match has kicked off!
DC United and Inter Miami are now underway.
Inter Miami’s upcoming matches
After facing DC United, the Herons will have little rest, as they will make their debut in the Round of 16 of the Concacaf Champions Cup against Nashville SC at Geodis Park on Wednesday. A week later, they will play the second leg at Chase Stadium, while in between those matches, they will visit Charlotte FC next Saturday in MLS.
Inter Miami add a new player
In the hours leading up to Saturday’s match against DC United, the Herons confirmed an addition to Javier Mascherano’s squad. “Inter Miami CF announced today it has signed defender Cesar Abadia-Reda on a short-term agreement from the Club’s MLS NEXT Pro side Inter Miami CF II,” the club said in a statement.
“The left back will be available for today’s match against D.C. United at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland,” the Herons added. “The defender is signed on a short-term agreement for the first time this season and overall second time, after featuring in the matchday squad for Inter Miami’s draw at home against FC Cincinnati last July.”
Lionel Messi approaches 900 career goals
Last Sunday, in the victory against Orlando City, Lionel Messi scored a brace, bringing his total to 898 goals in his professional career across Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami, and the Argentina national team. If he scores two or more goals this Saturday, he will become only the second player in history to reach 900 official goals, after Cristiano Ronaldo.
The stadium for this match
DC United will not play this Saturday at Audi Stadium, as they usually do. This time, they have moved to Baltimore to host the game at M&T Bank Stadium, where the capacity is much larger (71,000 spectators compared to 20,000). This will allow a bigger crowd of fans to see Lionel Messi in action.
Confirmed lineup for Inter Miami
Head coach Javier Mascherano has selected the following XI to face DC United: Dayne St. Clair; Facundo Mura, Maximiliano Falcon, Micael Silva, Noah Allen; Mateo Silvetti, Rodrigo De Paul, Yannick Bright, Telasco Segovia; Lionel Messi, German Berterame.
Confirmed lineup for DC United
For Saturday’s clash against Inter Miami, head coach Rene Weiler has selected the following XI: Sean Johnson; Silvan Hefti, Lucas Bartlett, Kye Rowles, Keisuke Kurokawa; Joao Peglow, Brandon Servania, Matti Peltola, Jackson Hopkins; Gabriel Pirani, Tai Baribo.
Kickoff time and how to watch
DC United and Inter Miami's game will begin at 4:30 PM (ET).
You can watch the MLS match live on MLS Season Pass.
Inter Miami visit DC United in MLS
Welcome to our live blog of the match between DC United and Inter Miami in Major League Soccer. Stay with us for all the key information about this clash, and once the game kicks off, for minute-by-minute updates.
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