Inter Miami secured qualification for the 2026 Major League Soccer (MLS) playoffs after defeating New York City FC 2-0 at Nu Stadium on Wednesday night, with goals from Germán Berterame and Rodrigo De Paul. ESPN reported that the victory moved Inter Miami to second place in the Eastern Conference standings…...
Inter Miami secured qualification for the 2026 Major League Soccer (MLS) playoffs after defeating New York City FC 2-0 at Nu Stadium on Wednesday night, with goals from Germán Berterame and Rodrigo De Paul.
ESPN reported that the victory moved Inter Miami to second place in the Eastern Conference standings with 52 points from 29 matches, while Nashville SC remained top of the table.
Berterame opened the scoring after connecting with an assist from Luis Suárez to tap the ball past New York City FC goalkeeper Matthew Freese. The goal ended his scoreless run, with his previous strike coming against the Philadelphia Union on May 24.
De Paul doubled Miami’s advantage in the first half after combining with Lionel Messi just outside the penalty area before firing the ball into the upper-left corner of the net.
Messi, who leads the MLS Golden Boot rankings with 23 goals, also tops the assists chart with 14 in the regular season.
The result marked another milestone for Inter Miami under new coach Cristian ‘Kily’ González, who took charge on September 16.
“Well, [qualifying for the playoffs] was one of the club’s initial goals for the season, and we’re there, but we still need to keep improving as a team,” González said after the match.
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New York City FC, who remain just outside the playoff positions, had an opportunity to score late in the game from the penalty spot, but Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair produced a save to preserve his clean sheet.
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Inter Miami will return to the playoffs after winning the 2025 MLS Cup, defeating Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 at Inter Miami Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The club missed the playoffs in 2023, Messi’s first year at the club, before qualifying for the postseason in each of the following three seasons.
Wednesday’s victory followed Miami’s 4-0 win over DC United last Saturday, when Messi and Suárez scored twice each. The result also gave González his second league victory since taking over as head coach.
Reflecting on the team’s progress, González said: “When you have players who are willing to buy into the vision you’re trying to implement, everything becomes easier,” González added. “We recognize the mistakes we’ve been making, or are still making, and we address them during training. And really, that willingness makes it much easier to convey clear concepts.”
Messi has experienced a significant year, leading Argentina to a second consecutive World Cup final before announcing his retirement from international football a month later.
The Argentine forward now has an opportunity to add another trophy to his collection with Inter Miami as the MLS season approaches its conclusion.
Speaking about Messi’s influence on the team, González said: “This is a club that looks after him and protects him,” González said about Messi. “His teammates show him constant affection. They go all out for him and give everything they have. He pushes us to be better every single day and challenges us.”
New York City FC will host Los Angeles FC in its next match, while Inter Miami travel to face Atlanta United. Both fixtures are scheduled for Saturday.