Messi scores first preseason goal as Inter Miami beats Club America in PKs in Las Vegas

Lionel Messi is sporting a new haircut this preseason, but otherwise, looked very much like the dangerous reigning MLS MVP as he scored the first Inter Miami goal of 2025 and played 66 minutes in a win against Mexican champion Club America in Las Vegas late Saturday night.

Miami won 3-2 in penalty kicks and the winning PK was scored by 17-year-old late-sub Santi Morales, son of Inter Miami assistant coach Javi Morales. The teenager got a huge hug from his father and then a string of hugs from the team’s biggest stars, Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets.

The game was deadlocked 2-2 after regulation thanks to Inter Miami center back Tomas Aviles, who scored the equalizer on a glancing header in extra time off a corner kick from Julian Gressel.

Messi was out of the game by then, but delivered earlier.

Inter Miami had fallen behind 1-0 on a goal by Henry Martin at the 31-minute mark, but Messi gave his many fans among the Allegiant Stadium crowd of 45,000 reason to celebrate with the equalizing goal three minutes later.

The Argentine icon and team captain got plenty of help from his trusty former FC Barcelona teammates Suarez and Alba, who seem to have telepathy with Messi after so many years linking passes. Suarez got the scoring play started with a pass on the run to Messi, who sent it wide to Alba, who crossed it back to Suarez, who took it in the air and fed it to Messi for the header in front of the goal.

Miami and America remained tied 1-1 at halftime in the Inter Miami coaching debut of Javier Mascherano, who also was Messi’s teammate at Barcelona and was hired to replace Tata Martino after his abrupt resignation following the 2024 season.

America dominated possession 66 percent for 34 percent in the first half.

Israel Reyes scored in the 52nd minute as the Mexican club reclaimed the lead to the delight of the yellow-clad masses in the stadium.

Messi, Suarez and Robert Taylor came out at the 66-minute mark and were replaced by Yannick Bright, David Martinez and Gressel. Alba and Busquets went to the bench five minutes later, as David Ruiz and Leo Afonso went in to provide young, fresh legs for the final 20 minutes. Morales entered the game in the 88th minute.

Inter Miami’s starting XI included nine regular starters from the team that won the Supporters’ Shield last season with the league’s best regular season record: Messi, Suarez, Taylor, Fede Redondo, Busquets, Alba, Noah Allen, Tomas Aviles, and Marcelo Weigandt.

The two new faces were winger/forward Fafa Picault, the Haitian American with deep Miami roots, and goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo, an Argentine American who was signed less than a week ago and forced into duty because Drake Callender is injured and Oscar Ustari is awaiting his visa. Trialist Tyler Miller traveled with the team as a backup goalkeeper. The former D.C. United keeper was available as his contract was not renewed.

Picault, 33, joined Miami from the Vancouver Whitecaps. He grew up in Cutler Bay, attended Miami Killian High School and played for the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers before continuing his career in Europe and MLS. He played for the Philadelphia Union, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, Nashville SC and then the Whitecaps before signing with Miami.

After the Las Vegas game Messi and his teammates return home to prepare for the next stops on their “Americas Tour”. They have preseason matches in Peru, Panama and Honduras and wrap up the preseason against Orlando City in Tampa on Valentine’s Day.

Inter Miami upcoming Preseason Schedule:

Jan. 29 (8 p.m. ET) | Club Universitario de Deportes | Estadio Monumental | Lima, Peru

Feb. 2 (5 p.m. ET) | Sporting San Miguelito | Estadio Rommel Fernández Gutiérrez | Panama City, Panama

Feb. 8 (8 p.m. ET) | Club Deportivo Olimpia | Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano | San Pedro Sula, Honduras

Feb. 14 (7:30 p.m. ET) | Orlando City SC | Raymond James Stadium | Tampa, Florida, United States