OMG what a goal by Luis Su\u00e1rez \ud83d\ude31 pic.twitter.com\/F3wckQuchB<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n The 4\u20134 first half marked the first time that eight goals had been scored in the opening period of an MLS match, with the final 10 combined goals falling just short of the match record, which sits at 11combined in a single game. <\/p>\n Yet, the major storyline coming out of the night was Messi\u2019s missing presence later on<\/a>. The eight-time Ballon d\u2019Or winner abruptly left the match with discomfort in his leg in the 73rd minute, clutching his hamstring. He quickly walked towards the locker room for medical treatment, throwing doubt into his availability for the 2026 World Cup in less than 20 days. <\/p>\n Here, Sports Illustrated breaks down the match, grading every Inter Miami<\/a> player who saw the pitch in the victory. <\/p>\n Inter Miami Report Card vs. Philadelphia Union (4-3-3) Lionel Messi was unable to play the full match against the Philadelphia Union. | Megan Briggs\/Getty Images<\/p>\n GK: Dayne St. Clair\u2014C-:\u00a0\u00a0The Canadian had troubles early in the match, but finished the night with seven saves and was arguably the best defensive player for Inter Miami, keeping the team in the match. <\/p>\n RB: Ian Fray\u2014B: Ian Fray continued to take on significant minutes with Inter Miami and was dynamic down the wing, leading to his assist on Su\u00e1rez\u2019s acrobatic finish on the 3\u20132 goal. <\/p>\n CB: Gonzalo Luj\u00e1n\u2014C-: Luj\u00e1n continued to grow into his defensive responsibilities with Inter Miami, but struggled to keep up with 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan and the other Philadelphia attackers. <\/p>\n CB: Micael\u2014F: The Brazilian center back had one of his worst games in an Inter Miami kit, struggling to keep up with Iloski, while other attackers simply side-stepped past him. <\/p>\n LB: Sergio Reguil\u00f3n\u2014D: Sergio Reguil\u00f3n\u2019s presence with Inter Miami has been underwhelming, and Sunday was no different. On a night where attacking potential was wide open, he failed to make any significant contribution. <\/p>\n RM: Rodrigo De Paul\u2014A: Rodrigo De Paul has been putting in double-workout days with Lionel Messi in preparation for the World Cup and looks as fit as ever. Having recently celebrated his 32nd birthday, the Argentine veteran is in stellar form and scored the eventual winning goal. <\/p>\n CM: Yannick Bright\u2014B: The most consistent Miami player of 2026, Bright jumped into the attack throughout Sunday, but failed to provide any real threat. However, his nine defensive contributions were vital to bringing some semblance of control to the chaos. <\/p>\n LM: Telasco Segovia\u2014D: Telasco Segovia had a performance to forget, struggling to make any attacking inroads and being beaten several times by Iloski and Sullivan.<\/p>\n RW: Lionel Messi\u2014B: In a 10-goal game, it\u2019s shocking to see Messi left out of the goalscoring. Yet, that\u2019s exactly what happened on Sunday, even though he picked up a pair of assists before leaving the match with an injury. <\/p>\n ST: Germ\u00e1n Berterame\u2014B+: Germ\u00e1n Berterame is still in the mix for the Mexico World Cup roster and a brace, as much as Messi did most of the work, to get him to seven MLS goals this season gives him a strong chance of cracking the squad.<\/p>\n LW: Luis Su\u00e1rez\u2014A++++!!!!: The Uruguay legend was outstanding! A brilliant finish on his second goal to control it with his chest before smashing a half-volley into the goal. His movements and positioning in the box were also stellar, completely turning the clock back to the best moments of his career. <\/p>\n SUB: David Ayala (67\u2019 for Segovia)\u2014C+: Ayala made sure he did not throw Miami off their game in the final 23 minutes. <\/p>\n SUB: Facundo Mura (67\u2019 for Reguil\u00f3n)\u2014C: Mura made a confident 26 passes after entering the match in the 68th minute and silenced the wing, which Reguil\u00f3n had struggled to shut down. <\/p>\n SUB: Mateo Silvetti (73\u2019 for Messi)\u2014A+: Stepping in as an Argentine for Messi is far from easy, but Silvetti did so with flying colors. He played a key role in the winning goal and insurance marker, picking up an official assist on De Paul’s counterattacking 6\u20134 goal. <\/p>\n Subs not used: Rocco R\u00edos Novo (GK), Maxi Falc\u00f3n, Noah Allen, Alex Shaw, David Ru\u00edz<\/p>\n One Thing We Can\u2019t Ignore: The Messi Injury There is plenty of concern around Messi\u2019s injury. Did he have to risk it? | Megan Briggs\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Nearly every league in the world played games this weekend. There is no blame on MLS for doing so, even as it is expected to send a record-number of players to the World Cup on home soil this summer. <\/p>\n For interim manager Guillermo Hoyos, though, there is some concern. Yes, Miami wants to win every game, and yes, Messi probably wants to play every minute he can\u2014yet, this was also a game against the worst team in the league and one that Miami\u00a0could, technically, afford to lose. It\u2019s what ensures Messi saw the pitch that makes it so perplexing. Why risk a player like that in a game like this? Miami could probably have played other players and still secured three points\u2014and if they fell short, well, then they can look to the rest of the season in the hunt for a top seed in the MLS Cup playoffs. <\/p>\n Messi and his teammates are ultra-competitive. That\u2019s why they\u2019ve hit the levels that they have in their careers. Still, he is 38 years old with an intrepid injury history\u2014how was that not more of a concern? At this point, it\u2019s water under the bridge, with Argentina and soccer fans from across the world holding their collective breath.<\/p>\n What\u2019s Next For Inter Miami? <\/p>\n The World Cup! Several of Inter Miami\u2019s stars are likely World Cup-bound, with goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair potentially serving as co-host Canada\u2019s starting goalkeeper, with that roster set to be unveiled on Friday. Other World Cup stars include Argentina\u2019s Messi and De Paul as well as Mexico’s Berterame. <\/p>\n Inter Miami will resume MLS action on July 22 against the Chicago Fire. <\/p>\n READ THE LATEST MLS NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC![\"Lionel](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01ksebhpdcvg6kj6h5b4.jpg\" "\\"Lionel")
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