After raising the MLS Golden Boot trophy, Lionel Messi recorded two goals and one assist to inspire Inter Miami CF to a resounding 3-1 victory over Nashville SC in the first game of the Round One playoff series at Chase Stadium.

Inter Miami clinched the first victory in the best-of-three series before traveling to Nashville on November 1 in hopes of securing the ticket to the knockout round of the postseason. Tadeo Allende also scored in the first half in a win that head coach Javier Mascherano labeled as a team effort.

“At this stage, all players are important. To reach the highest point, we are going to need everyone because that’s the reality. We try to transmit and chase is to be prepared for what we get,” said Mascherano.

Before the match, MLS commissioner Don Garber presented the Argentina star with the award for the 2025 season top scorer, declaring the forward had reset the trajectory for the league.

Messi clinched the Golden Boot by scoring 29 goals in 28 games, earning the award for the first time since joining Inter Miami in 2023.

“I’m here tonight not just to attend the game but to present Leo with the Golden Boot,” Garber said. “I don’t think we ever could have imagined that Leo would have been able to deliver for this club, for this city and for this league the way he had.”

The presentation of the award comes a day after Inter Miami announced Messi signed a three-year contract extension with the club, keeping him in South Florida through the 2028 season.

“He has reset the trajectory for Major League Soccer, and we were already doing pretty well. And I think having three more years is just going to be another gift,” Garber said.

“Hopefully, it’s the gift that keeps on giving. It’s been just a thrill to watch him play and to see how happy he is here in Miami and here in the United States.”

Messi, the heavy favorite to win his second consecutive league MVP honor, also finished as the co-league leader in assists with 19.

When Messi joined Inter Miami in July 2023, he quickly inspired the club to win that year’s inaugural Leagues Cup trophy before clinching the 2024 Supporters’ Shield and setting the MLS record for most points recorded in a single season.

Individually, Messi earned the 2024 MVP award and is a finalist for the 2025 edition. Should Messi win the award, he will become the first MLS player to clinch it on two consecutive occasions.

The new contract means Messi could remain with Inter Miami into his early 40s. He is still the biggest name in soccer; ticket revenue for MLS set a record this year, Inter Miami’s value has doubled by some estimates to about $1.2 billion since he arrived and he has led the league in jersey sales annually since his arrival midway through 2023.

“I think he’s the unicorn of unicorns,” Garber said. “You know, there’s something about the way he’s wired. He’s thinking about the game like nobody else ever has. His intensity and desire to win is what makes him the greatest of all time. There are a lot of really competitive players, but he has this special sauce, this dynamic that has him so focused on doing what he needs to do to win games.”

Garber also lauded Inter Miami for how it made the announcement of Messi’s signing. The team revealed it on social media with a video of Messi signing his contract, then the camera pulls out to show that he’s actually sitting where the field will be inside the team’s new stadium near Miami International Airport. The stadium is scheduled to open next year.

“It just shows how classy and smart they are,” Garber said.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.