Inter Miami had a comfortable Saturday, defeating DC United 2-1 in MLS, with goals from Rodrigo De Paul and Lionel Messi’s 899th career goal in a packed M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, filled with 72,026 fans.
The captain of The Herons capitalized on a perfectly weighted pass from his compatriot Mateo Silvetti in the 27th minute, finishing with a deft touch past goalkeeper Sean Johnson, leaving him just one goal shy of 900 in his professional career.
At 38 years old, he also reached 80 goals with the team from the Sunshine State across all competitions.
Earlier, thanks to pressure from Mexican Germán Berterame on the opposing defense, Venezuelan Telasco Segovia provided the assist for De Paul, who opened the scoring with a well-placed shot inside the box to the right post, scoring his first goal of the season.
The goal roused the crowd despite the chilly 13-degree Celsius afternoon, who remained expectant for a low-intensity match in the opening minutes.
The Herons continue as a work in progress for the 2026 season, looking to connect with Berterame in attack and incorporating Facundo Mura as a constant outlet on the right flank.
DC United improved their performance in the second half and pulled one back in the 75th minute. Jackson Hopkins won the ball on the right and sent in a low shot that goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair parried, leaving the ball perfectly placed for Tai Baribo to tap into the net.
Baribo, 28 years old and in his first season with the club, scored his second goal of 2026.
Despite the offensive power shown by Inter Miami, the defense remains an area for improvement, having conceded six goals in the first three matches.
Messi reaches 899 goals in Inter Miami’s 2-1 victory over DC United With consecutive victories against Orlando City and DC United, the team now focuses its attention on its debut in the Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16 when it visits Nashville SC on Wednesday.
