Messi nets decisive goal in Inter Miami's victory over Colorado in coach's first match

Lionel Messi's exceptional skills were on full display as he scored his team's third goal and led Inter Miami CF to a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Rapids at Empower Field At Mile High in Denver, Colorado on April 18, 2026.

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The match, which drew a massive crowd of 75,000 Major League Soccer fans, was initially shifted to Denver's giant NFL stadium to accommodate the huge demand to see Argentina's World Cup-winning icon in action.

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Despite a spirited home team fightback from 2-0 down, Messi's late winner sealed the deal for Inter Miami, gifting the team's new coach a win in his debut match.

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Messi's first goal came from a penalty, which he calmly converted after Josh Atencio tripped Yannick Bright in the box, following a lengthy VAR check.

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His second goal was a spectacular display of skill, as he sprinted onto a through ball sent down the right by Rodrigo De Paul, dribbled into the box, and threaded a shot with his left foot through three defenders and past the keeper.

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The win marked a successful debut for Guillermo Hoyos, who took over as Miami coach after Javier Mascherano departed the club for "personal reasons" on Tuesday, just four months after guiding the club to its first MLS Cup title.

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Hoyos praised Messi, saying "We have the greatest player in history, someone who completely shifts the momentum of matches," and noted that the team's win was a continuation of the work they had been doing.

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The coach made few changes to the lineup, bringing in German Berterame to replace Tadeo Allende, who is still recovering from a muscle injury, and the move paid off as the team secured a 3-2 victory.

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The win sent Inter Miami up to second place in the Eastern Conference, with Hoyos commenting that "the team is the reigning MLS champion" and "we are a solid unit".

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In Spanish, Hoyos added that the team's success is a testament to their hard work and humility, saying "Just look at the energy Inter Miami generates — how they’ve had to move to a larger stadium to accommodate it all — and contrast that with the quiet humility with which we have always tried to go about our business".

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Playing in front of 75,824 fans, the second-largest crowd in MLS history, Miami got off to a sluggish start but were handed a golden opportunity when Colorado conceded a penalty for tripping Yannick Bright in the box.

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Colorado dominated possession but rarely threatened, and just before halftime, the Rapids coughed up possession in their own half, allowing Messi to set up a goal for German Berterame with a clever flick.

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The Rapids rushed back into the game in the second half, with Rafael Navarro scoring a goal just before the hour mark, and Darren Yapi equalizing for the team barely four minutes later.

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However, Messi's late heroics quelled the home team's comeback, and the game ended on a sour note as Yannick Bright was sent off for using abusive language while protesting a yellow card against his teammate Telasco Segovia.