Lionel Messi’s 83rd-minute winner gave Inter Miami a 2-1 comeback against New England Revolution in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Sunday and turned one match into three milestones. The result moved Miami into second place in the Eastern Conference, secured a place in the 2027 CONCACAF Champions Cup and left Messi four goals clear in the MLS scoring race with one regular-season game left.

How Miami turned the game around

New England struck first in the 53rd minute through Dániel Gazdag, who finished after passes from defenders Ilay Feingold and Peyton Miller. That goal put Miami behind in a match that had stayed scoreless through the first half.

Inter Miami answered in the 69th minute when Messi and Telasco Segovia combined to set up Germán Berterame for the equaliser. Messi then settled the game himself in the 83rd minute, scoring the winner after another assist from Segovia. It was Miami’s comeback that changed the table, not just the scoreline.

Why the result matters in the Eastern Conference

The win lifted Inter Miami to 59 points after 33 matches and put it one point ahead of New England with one game remaining in the regular season. That position matters because Miami’s second-place finish gives it a home match in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs.

The victory also confirmed Miami’s spot in the 2027 CONCACAF Champions Cup, the regional club competition that brings together teams from North and Central America and the Caribbean. Miami had already secured a place in the MLS Cup playoffs, but second place gives it a stronger path into the postseason.

Messi’s goal took him to 26 league goals this season, four more than FC Dallas striker Petar Musa. The MLS Golden Boot is decided on regular-season goals only, so Miami’s final league match against Charlotte FC will be Messi’s last chance to add to that total before the award is settled.

Vancouver also locked in a major milestone

The same Sunday brought another significant MLS result in the West. Vancouver Whitecaps beat Seattle Sounders 5-1 in Vancouver after already clinching first place in the Western Conference because of Saturday’s results.

Brian White scored twice and Ryan Gauld added a goal and two assists as Vancouver completed a season sweep of Seattle with its largest margin of victory in the series. Seattle, which began the day in the ninth and final Western Conference playoff place, was left to chase a result in its own final regular-season match.

Together, the two games showed how much was still being decided late in the MLS season: Miami strengthened its postseason position in the East, while Vancouver sealed the top spot in the West before the playoffs begin.