Competition: Major League Soccer – Regular Season
Matchday: 33
Date: November 1, 2026
Venue: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Half-time: New England Revolution 0-0 Inter Miami
Full-time: New England Revolution 1-2 Inter Miami
Lionel Messi once again proved decisive for Inter Miami, delivering a goal and an assist to inspire a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over New England Revolution. After falling behind to Dániel Gazdag's second-half opener, the visitors responded through Germán Berterame before Messi completed the turnaround with a brilliant left-footed finish in the 83rd minute.
Match Highlights: Messi and Berterame Lead the Comeback
A Balanced First Half at Gillette Stadium
The match began with both teams looking to establish control. New England Revolution enjoyed periods of possession and attempted to use its attacking options to create opportunities, while Inter Miami searched for openings through Messi, Berterame and the players supporting them.
Inter Miami came close to breaking the deadlock in the 28th minute. Germán Berterame produced a left-footed attempt from the left side of the penalty area, but New England goalkeeper Matt Turner reacted well to make an important save.
The hosts also threatened before the interval. Peyton Miller created an opportunity for Brooklyn Raines in the 37th minute, but the midfielder's effort went over the crossbar.
Neither side managed to score during the opening 45 minutes, and the teams went into half-time level at 0-0.
Dániel Gazdag Gives New England the Lead
New England returned from the break with greater attacking intent and found the breakthrough in the 53rd minute.
Ilay Feingold provided the assist, setting up Dániel Gazdag, who finished the opportunity to give the home side a 1-0 advantage.
The goal put pressure on Inter Miami, who needed a response to avoid leaving Foxborough without points. The visitors increased their attacking efforts, looking increasingly toward Messi and Berterame to change the direction of the contest.
Berterame Levels the Score with a Brilliant Header
Inter Miami's persistence paid off in the 69th minute through a superb piece of attacking combination play.
Telasco Segovia helped create the move by sending the ball into the penalty area. Lionel Messi then produced an intelligent header across the box, allowing Germán Berterame to attack the delivery and score with a powerful header.
The goal made it 1-1 and demonstrated the growing understanding between Messi and Berterame. The Mexican forward registered his tenth regular-season goal of the campaign, while Messi recorded his 16th league assist of the season.
Messi Completes the Turnaround with a Stunning Finish
With the match approaching its final stages, Inter Miami continued searching for a winning goal. The decisive moment arrived in the 83rd minute.
Telasco Segovia combined with Messi in a dangerous attacking move, allowing the Argentine captain to receive the ball inside the penalty area. Messi showed his trademark composure, moved past three defenders and finished with a powerful left-footed shot into the bottom-right corner.
The goal gave Inter Miami a 2-1 lead and completed a remarkable comeback. Messi's strike was his 26th goal of the 2026 MLS regular season, strengthening his position in the Golden Boot race.
Late Drama: VAR Rules Out New England's Equaliser
The closing minutes brought another major moment. In the 87th minute, Ian Fray scored an own goal, giving New England hope of rescuing a result.
However, the celebrations did not last. Following a VAR review, the goal was disallowed because of an offside offence in the attacking phase.
New England continued pushing for an equaliser, but Inter Miami held on through the closing stages and secured all three points with a 2-1 away victory.
Match Timeline
| Minute | Team | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 28' | Inter Miami | Berterame's shot saved by Matt Turner. |
| 53' | New England | Dániel Gazdag scores, assisted by Ilay Feingold (1-0). |
| 69' | Inter Miami | Germán Berterame equalises after Messi's headed assist (1-1). |
| 83' | Inter Miami | Lionel Messi scores the winner, assisted by Telasco Segovia (1-2). |
| 87' | New England | Ian Fray scores an own goal. |
| 89' | New England | VAR disallows the goal following an offside offence. |
| 90+8' | Full-time | Inter Miami secure a 2-1 victory. |
Match Statistics
| Statistic | New England | Inter Miami |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 54% | 46% |
| Shots | 12 | 13 |
| Saves | 3 | 3 |
| Corners | 7 | 1 |
| Fouls | 6 | 16 |
Messi and Berterame: The Key Difference
Lionel Messi was the central figure in Inter Miami's comeback. His awareness and technical quality created the equalising opportunity for Berterame, before he produced the decisive finish himself.
Berterame also played a crucial role. His movement inside the penalty area and ability to attack Messi's delivery gave Inter Miami the equaliser they needed to regain momentum.
Telasco Segovia deserves recognition for his contribution to both attacking goals. His involvement in the equaliser and his assist for Messi's winner made him an important part of the visitors' attacking performance.
Editorial Player Assessments
These are editorial assessments based on the match, not official player ratings.
- Lionel Messi – Inter Miami: Outstanding influence, with one goal, one assist and the decisive contribution in the comeback.
- Germán Berterame – Inter Miami: Delivered an important equaliser and provided a constant attacking threat.
- Telasco Segovia – Inter Miami: Excellent creative contribution, assisting Messi's winning goal and helping initiate the equalising move.
- Dániel Gazdag – New England: Took his opportunity well to give the hosts the lead in the second half.
- Matt Turner – New England: Made important saves, including a first-half stop against Berterame.
What the Result Means for Inter Miami
The victory was particularly valuable for Inter Miami as the regular season approached its conclusion. The team collected three important away points and continued its push near the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
The result also highlighted the attacking partnership developing between Messi and Berterame. With Segovia contributing creatively, Inter Miami demonstrated that it could produce dangerous combinations from several areas of the pitch.
For New England Revolution, the defeat was a frustrating result after taking the lead and coming close to recovering a point late in the match. The disallowed goal made the closing moments even more difficult for the home side.
Conclusion
Inter Miami produced an impressive comeback to defeat New England Revolution 2-1 at Gillette Stadium. Germán Berterame brought the visitors level with a powerful header, and Lionel Messi completed the turnaround with a superb left-footed finish.
The late VAR decision added further drama, but Inter Miami held firm to take all three points. Once again, Messi showed why he remains such an influential figure in MLS, combining creativity and decisive finishing to lead his team to victory.
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