{"id":12923,"date":"2025-11-09T13:21:46","date_gmt":"2025-11-09T13:21:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/?p=12923"},"modified":"2025-11-09T13:32:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-09T13:32:10","slug":"messi-reaches-historical-milestone-as-inter-miami-advances","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/messi-reaches-historical-milestone-as-inter-miami-advances","title":{"rendered":"Messi Reaches Historical Milestone As Inter Miami Advances"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/football\/team\/inter-miami-54729\">Inter Miami <\/a>has had roaring stadiums buzzing, enticing football and a team learning to win with both swagger and grit. From the season&#8217;s kickoff, the Herons have played like a headliner act, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/football\/player\/lionel-messi-874#competitionId=104\">Lionel Messi<\/a> as superstar finisher and all-around magician. His 400th career assist feels like the perfect emblem for this version of Miami: Messi always bringing his teammates into the game and turning tight games into highlight reels. If you needed a snapshot of where they are right now, their most recent outing, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/football\/match\/mls-104\/inter-miami-nashville-sc-51126-54729-104#id=4603868\">4-0 knockout win over Nashville<\/a> in Fort Lauderdale, showed the edge they\u2019ve found: a ruthless press, quick transitions, and Messi orchestrating with that record-setting creator\u2019s touch. It\u2019s a style of football that has ended the regular season for Inter Miami with an opportunity to win it all this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Table of Contents<\/h2><nav><ul><li><a href=\"#shape-of-the-season\">Shape Of The Season<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#playoffs\">Playoffs<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#so-far\">So Far:<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#whats-next\">What\u2019s next:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#messi-400-assists-club-and-country\">Messi 400 assists &#8211; club and country<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#career-assist-breakdown\">Career Assist Breakdown<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#messis-season-by-the-numbers\">Messi&#8217;s 365Scores Impact Rating<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#w\">Will Messi Bring Home The MLS Cup?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"shape-of-the-season\">Shape Of The Season<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Inter Miami\u2019s season has taken on a clear, numbers-backed shape: a front-foot regular season powered by Lionel Messi\u2019s league-leading 29 goals (2025 MLS Golden Boot), a string of cup nights that hardened their edge, and a playoff gear that finally looks built for MLS knockouts. Messi hasn\u2019t just scored; he\u2019s been a key playmaker, hitting a landmark 400th career assist during the Round One decider, and his production has framed Miami\u2019s identity as a team that creates to dominate. In the Audi <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/football\/league\/mls-104\">MLS<\/a> Cup Playoffs Best-of-3 vs <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/football\/team\/nashville-sc-51126\">Nashville<\/a>, Miami clinched their first-ever Conference semifinal berth with a 4-0 Game 3, where both Messi and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/football\/player\/tadeo-allende-88985\">Tadeo Allende<\/a> scored; Messi was involved in all eight of Miami\u2019s goals across the series (five goals, three assists), a snapshot of how he tilts matchups on his own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DQ1P_iSCM82\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DQ1P_iSCM82\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\"> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div><div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\"> <div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DQ1P_iSCM82\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by 365Scores (@365scores)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>Around him, his long-time former Barcelona teammates have been crucial as well: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/football\/player\/luis-suarez-438\">Luis Su\u00e1rez<\/a> dragged Miami through Leagues Cup quarterfinals with a late penalty double vs Tigres while Messi rested, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/football\/player\/sergio-busquets-125\">Sergio Busquets<\/a>, set to retire at season\u2019s end, has set the rhythm as a deep pivot alongside <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/football\/player\/jordi-alba-116\">Jordi Alba<\/a>, who also announced his retirement after the playoffs. Sprinkle in spring\u2019s Champions Cup quarterfinal comeback over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/football\/team\/los-angeles-fc-51178\">LAFC <\/a>Messi brace (including an 84\u2019 winner) and an assist, and the pattern is consistent: Miami leans on elite shot-making, calm tempo control, and ruthless transition to turn tight nights into comfortable ones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finishing the season in third position as they finished the season in hot form, winning 6 of their last 8 games. Miami\u2019s statistical spine, 29 league goals from Messi, decisive cup wins, and milestone creativity, explains why their ceiling in November looks higher than at any point in their MLS life as they search for their first MLS Cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-1946349795-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12969\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-1946349795-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-1946349795-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-1946349795-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-1946349795-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-1946349795-scaled.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo by Alex Pe\u00f1a\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"playoffs\">Playoffs<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"so-far\"><strong>So Far:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Miami just won their first-ever playoff series, taking a best-of-three against Nashville 2-1 and slamming the door with a 4-0 home rout in Game 3. Lionel Messi ran the series, when it really mattered Messi showed why he&#8217;s considered to be one of the best to ever do it, turning the game on it&#8217;s head with 2 goals and 2 assists to bring home the win; in the decider he scored twice and set up two more, while Tadeo Allende added a second-half brace with Luis Su\u00e1rez out suspended. Multiple outlets also reported that one of those helpers marked Messi\u2019s 400th career assist, an emblematic milestone for a side that leans on his playmaking as much as his goals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"whats-next\"><strong>What\u2019s next:<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Herons travel to face <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/football\/team\/fc-cincinnati-25287\">FC Cincinnati<\/a> at TQL Stadium in a one-game Eastern Conference semifinal, survive and advance territory against a No. 2 seed built on compact defending and set-piece threat. If Miami progresses, their route to MLS Cup likely runs through a heavyweight from the other half of the bracket (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/football\/team\/philadelphia-union-7364\">Philadelphia<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/football\/team\/new-york-city-fc-20622\">NYCFC<\/a>), with matchups finalised as the bracket closes. Layer on the emotional charge of this being the final MLS postseason for Sergio Busquets, and Miami enter the semifinal with star power, momentum, and a chance to keep rewriting club history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"messi-400-assists-club-and-country\">Messi 400 assists &#8211; club and country<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Lionel Messi\u2019s 400 career assists across club and country truly encapsulate Messi as a player and how he has gone about his football throughout his whole career. A pass that split a defense and turned a good run into a guaranteed goal. He hit the mark with Inter Miami in their Round One decider vs. Nashville, and the breakdown tells the story of a two-decade playmaking masterclass: 269 assists with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/football\/team\/fc-barcelona-132\">Barcelona<\/a>, 60 for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/football\/team\/argentina-2378\">Argentina<\/a>, 34 at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/football\/team\/psg-480\">PSG<\/a>, and now 37 and counting in Miami. It\u2019s a neat snapshot of how his game has aged, consistently involving his teammates, and always dangerous whenever he is on the ball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At Inter Miami, the milestone feels less like a detour and more like the latest chapter in a style that still bends games to his vision. The assists come in different shapes now, cut-backs after quick one-twos with overlapping full-backs, disguised reverse passes in transition, and set-piece deliveries that invite a first-time finish, but the effect is the same: teammates arrive on the ball already a step ahead,. Beyond the final pass, his off-ball gravity opens lanes for runners, and his calm and vision in chaotic MLS moments, and hostile crowds have given Miami a blueprint for control. It\u2019s veteran playmaking which looks effortless: cleaner touches, better decisions, and a habit of turning thin margins into goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Messi becomes just the second player all-time to reach the milestone of 400 assists. Joining Hungarian legend Ferenc Puskas, who finished his career with 404 career assists. Leaving Messi just 4 shy of taking over the record for most assists of all time. Messi also has 875 career goals just sitting behind Cristiano Ronaldo on 936 goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Zooming out, 400 isn\u2019t just a big round number; it\u2019s confirmation that Messi\u2019s legacy is as much about making others better as it is about scoring himself. At Barcelona, those 269 assists fed eras Eto\u2019o, Villa, Su\u00e1rez, Neymar, while with Argentina the 60 have stretched from early <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/football\/player\/angel-di-maria-868\">Di Mar\u00eda<\/a> cutbacks to World Cup-era through balls. In Miami, the pattern continues: runners like Allende and overlaps from Alba cash in because Messi still sees the picture a beat earlier than everyone else. That\u2019s the through-line from Camp Nou to Paris to Fort Lauderdale: a playmaker who turns teammates into finishers and tense games into tap-ins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"career-assist-breakdown\">Career Assist Breakdown<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td>Barcelona <\/td><td>269 assists<\/td><td>778 appearances (2004-2021)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Argentina<\/td><td>60 assists<\/td><td>195 appearances (2004-present)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>PSG<\/td><td>34 assists<\/td><td>75 appearances (2021-2023)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Inter Miami<\/td><td>37 assists<\/td><td>84 appearances (2023-present)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/messi-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12963\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/messi-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/messi-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/messi-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/messi-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/messi-scaled.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"> (Photo by Rich Storry\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"messis-season-by-the-numbers\">Messi&#8217;s 365Scores <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/introducing-the-365scores-impact-rating-ir-measuring-a-players-influence-on-their-team\">Impact Rating<\/a><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Messi\u2019s 2025 dominance can be backed up by the numbers. His <strong>365Scores Impact Rating<\/strong> (IR) averages 84.73, best in MLS, and he\u2019s lapping the field: more than double Inter Miami\u2019s next two (Su\u00e1rez 37.96, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/football\/player\/oscar-ustari-1607\">Ustari<\/a> 37.68) and well clear of league runners-up <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/football\/player\/carles-gil-6791\">Carles Gil<\/a> (54.59) and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/football\/player\/jeppe-tverskov-49768\">Jeppe Tverskov<\/a> (52.10). Even on a per-minute basis, he leads with a season Avg. IR\/min of 0.98, reflecting sustained influence rather than isolated spikes. His most impactful nights tell the same story: 164.49 vs Nashville SC (18.10.25), 138.52 vs <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/football\/team\/atlanta-united-30499\">Atlanta United<\/a> (11.10.25), and 134.03 vs New York City FC (24.9.25). These ratings are all the top 3 performances in the MLS this season. The ratings clearly show he\u2019s been Miami\u2019s separator, owning the league\u2019s top impact profile while delivering his most decisive performances when the lights are brightest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div data-widget-type=\"predictions\" data-entity-type=\"game\" data-widget-id=\"0.z0bek7ntgt\" data-lang=\"en-US\" data-entity-id=\"4613251\" data-user-country-id=\"\" data-publisher-id=\"125\" data-live-mode=\"true\" data-show-odds=\"false\" data-hide-powered-by=\"true\"><\/div>\n<script src=\"https:\/\/widgets.365scores.com\/main.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"w\">Will Messi Bring Home The MLS Cup?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Inter Miami have turned a star-studded idea into a hardened contender: a side that presses with intent, breaks with speed, and lets Lionel Messi set the terms now with 400 career assists as the emblem of their blueprint. The next checkpoint is the Eastern Conference semifinal away to FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium, a win-or-go-home scenario, against the No. 2 seed. For Miami, the keys are clear: keep the press connected and let Messi dictate possession and create the same way he has done all season; if Luis Su\u00e1rez features, his link play will matter in pinning centre-backs, and Sergio Busquets\u2019 calm on the ball will be vital in hostile moments. Win in Cincinnati and the road to the club\u2019s first MLS Cup opens up proof that this season\u2019s roar wasn\u2019t just for show, but the sound of a team built for the biggest nights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Inter Miami has had roaring stadiums buzzing, enticing football and a team learning to win with both swagger and grit. From the season&#8217;s kickoff, the Herons have played like a headliner act, with Lionel Messi as superstar finisher and all-around magician. His 400th career assist feels like the perfect emblem for this version of Miami: &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":12989,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_title":"","rank_math_description":"","rank_math_canonical_url":"","rank_math_focus_keyword":"Messi","rank_math_facebook_image":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/messi-1-scaled.jpg","rank_math_robots":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[4169,1345,896,82,2813,96,2453],"content-tags":[],"article_type":[3329],"entity_type":[3333,3335],"inspiration":[3337],"class_list":["post-12923","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-soccer","tag-365scores-impact-rating","tag-inter-miami","tag-luis-suarez","tag-messi","tag-messi-record","tag-mls","tag-mls-playoffs","article_type-news","entity_type-athlete","entity_type-competitor","inspiration-365s-articles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12923","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/45"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12923"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12923\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13005,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12923\/revisions\/13005"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12989"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12923"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12923"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12923"},{"taxonomy":"content-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content-tags?post=12923"},{"taxonomy":"article_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article_type?post=12923"},{"taxonomy":"entity_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/entity_type?post=12923"},{"taxonomy":"inspiration","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/inspiration?post=12923"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}