From Messi’s wide cross, Maximiliano Falcón rises in the center of the box to head on target, but Matt Freese tips the effort away at the top-left corner. Messi’s delivery creates one of Inter Miami’s earliest chances.

Messi unleashes a left-footed shot from outside the box after receiving the ball from Ian Fray, but his effort is blocked by a defender before it can test the keeper. The move shows Messi dropping deep to combine and shoot.

Following Messi’s corner and ensuing cross, Luis Suárez meets the delivery with a header from the left side of the six-yard box, narrowly missing the top-left corner. Messi’s set-piece service nearly produces a goal for his strike partner.

Messi cuts inside and strikes a left-footed shot from outside the box, forcing Matt Freese to save low to his bottom-right corner. The effort tests the keeper from distance.

Messi threads a precise through ball into the box for Baltasar Rodríguez, who finishes low into the bottom-right corner to open the scoring. The pass splits the New York City FC defense and sets Rodríguez free centrally.

Messi slides a pass to Luis Suárez, whose right-footed shot from outside the box is saved low to the bottom-right corner by Matt Freese. Messi’s vision helps spring Suárez into shooting space.

Messi makes it 2–0, taking Sergio Busquets’ through ball in the middle of the box and calmly finishing with his left foot into the center of the net. He times his run perfectly to stay clear of the defenders.

Messi picks out Tadeo Allende with a through ball into the heart of the box, but Allende’s right-footed shot flies over the bar. The chance highlights Messi’s playmaking as he continues to unlock NYCFC’s back line late on.

Messi completes his brace by driving into the right side of the box and finishing with a low right-footed shot across goal into the bottom-left corner, after being released by Marcelo Weigandt. The composed strike seals Inter Miami’s 4–0 win.