Mar 22, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York City FC forward Agustn Ojeda (26) looks to cross the ball defended by Inter Miami defender Noah Allen (32) during the first half at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Smith-Imagn Images
BRONX, NY — Lionel Messi scored a deflected free kick as Inter Miami came from behind to beat New York City 3-2 in a pulsating game at Yankee Stadium Sunday afternoon.
In a topsy-turvy encounter, NYCFC briefly appeared set for victory after recovering from an early Gonzalo Luján effort to take the lead through a spectacular Nicolás Fernández Mercau free kick and a well-taken Agustín Ojeda effort in either half.
Messi, however, restored parity just after the hour mark when his long-range freekick deflected off Fernádez Mercau before Micael dos Santos produced a looping header to put the visitors back in front with 16 minutes remaining.
For Pascal Jansen’s NYCFC, the result marks a first defeat of the season after a promising run of 10 points from their first four games.
But NYCFC showed plenty of encouraging signs in a repeat of last season’s Eastern Conference final, which Miami won 5-1.
Yankee Stadium was almost at capacity as the Messi circus rolled into town, with the majority of the crowd sporting Inter Miami pink or Argentina blue-and-white.
Messi gave the partisan support plenty to shout about, registering nine shots on goal throughout an entertaining game. The Argentinian maestro was frustrated for long periods by a combination of Matt Freese and the NYCFC woodwork, but he came up trumps when his side needed him most.
Jansen credited his side by “making a statement” by recovering from conceding that early goal but said his side had looked nervous in the opening minutes.
“Coming from a goal down and going up one is, in my opinion, a big statement in a game like this,” Jansen said. “But they (Inter Miami) still have the quality.”
Many of the pink-clad supporters had barely taken their seats when Inter Miami opened the scoring with the first meaningful attack of the game when a Messi corner was cleared only as far as Telasco Segovia at the edge of the New York penalty area.
Segovia’s powerful volley ricocheted to the unmarked Luján, who fired a well-taken half-volley beyond Freese to give the visitors the lead on four minutes.
Messi had his first sight of goal moments later, forcing Freese into a smart, diving save with a whipped effort inside the area.
With Inter Miami in the groove and Messi bringing Yankee Stadium to a crescendo with every touch, it looked set to be a long afternoon for Jansen’s side, but it wasn’t long before the hosts leveled the score on 17 minutes – in spectacular fashion.
Fernández Mercau – enjoying a sensational start to the season as a makeshift forward – stood over a free kick after Maxi Moralez was fouled on the edge of the Inter Miami penalty area and sent a sensational curling effort into the back of the net via the underside of the crossbar, leaving Dayne St. Clair completely stranded.
Jansen was full of praise for his center-forward, who has now scored five goals in his opening five goals in the opening five games of the season.
“We had a nervous start in the first five or ten minutes,” Jansen said. “Nico brought us back (level) on the scoreboard. That’s a real statement of his quality and his personality.”
It would not be the last time that an Argentinian player struck the woodwork in an entertaining opening half. Luckily for NYCFC, neither effort ended up in the back of the net.
Messi was twice thwarted by the uprights in the final 15 minutes of the half, striking the inside of the post from a long-range effort on 31 minutes, with Freese beaten all ends up.
He came even closer on 42 minutes, curling against the crossbar from 25 yards with Freese once again nowhere near the effort. The NYCFC keeper was up quickly to deny Mateo Silvetti from a close-range follow-up, however.
But aside from a flurry of Messi sighters throughout the half, the hosts fully deserved to go in level at the break, regularly producing slick moves that sliced through the Miami defense.
They might have gone in ahead as well when Moralez drove straight through the heart of the Miami defense on 35 minutes, but the veteran playmaker shot straight at St. Clair from the edge of the area under little pressure.
Jansen’s side hit the front 14 minutes into the second half when Ojeda raced onto an exquisite Moralez pass and finished coolly beyond the onrushing St. Clair to send the home crowd into raptures.
But barely two minutes later, it was the much larger contingent of away supporters who were celebrating as Messi almost immediately extinguished the NYCFC lead, albeit through a huge stroke of luck.
His long-range free kick did not look like causing Freese any problems, but an unfortunate touch from Fernández Mercau gave the NYCFC keeper no chance.
Fernández Mercau had an opportunity to immediately atone for that deflection but saw a close-range effort smothered by St. Clair from a tight angle.
The visitors hit the front again on 74 minutes when Noah Allen picked out Micael with a delightful floated cross to the back post, with the Miami defender sending an inch-perfect looping header across Freese and into the top corner.
The home crowd was incensed moments later when St. Clair rushed out to collect a Moralez through ball and appeared to carry the ball out of the area. Referee Armando Villarreal judged that the ‘keeper had kept the ball in the area, with VAR sticking with the on-field decision. Replays failed to show conclusive evidence that St. Clair had handled outside the area.
However, some angles appeared to suggest St. Clair had handled outside the area, with NYCFC captain Thiago Martins stating that the decision “looks bad for the league.”
Jansen’s side desperately pushed for a route back into the game in the final quarter-hour but could not apply a finishing touch to several promising situations.
Substitute Talles Magno looked set to equalize on 90 minutes only to be denied by a last-gasp David Ayala block from close range before St. Clair denied Aiden O’Neill after the NYCFC midfielder found himself unmarked at the back post during a late corner.
The visitors ultimately held on to move level on points with NYCFC, with both sides locked on 10 points in the Eastern Conference.
For more on NYCFC, visit AMNY.com