In Florida, where Inter Miami’s evenings increasingly carry the feel of a travelling football theatre, Lionel Messi added another landmark to his extraordinary career without quite delivering the home victory his side wanted. A clip of the Argentine calmly juggling the ball while seated had been circulating widely before the match, and on Sunday he again supplied the moment that drew every eye — though San Diego left with a 2-2 draw.
Messi’s strike was the 930th of his senior career in official matches, a total that made him the youngest player to reach that figure, at the age of 39. It arrived in unusual fashion during the 26th round of Major League Soccer: from a free-kick near the edge of the area, the No. 10 appeared to shape the ball for a delivery into the box. No teammate made contact, however, and the curling effort carried straight into the far corner.
San Diego had gone ahead in the 12th minute through Dreyer, but Messi restored parity 12 minutes later. The visitors’ goalkeeper was beaten by a set piece that became a shot almost by accident, and Miami went into the remainder of the contest with renewed momentum.
A point rather than a Florida celebration
Inter Miami did find what looked like a winning goal late on. Luis Suárez collected a pass inside the penalty area and drove a low finish across goal with 15 minutes remaining, turning the match in the hosts’ favour. Yet Dreyer struck again in the 37th minute to bring San Diego level, ensuring that neither side could claim the full reward.
The draw leaves Miami third in the MLS Eastern Conference on 46 points from 26 matches. The top seven teams in each conference qualify directly for the playoffs, so the club remain securely placed in the race, even if this was a Sunday when Messi’s latest personal milestone could not be matched by three points.
