Lionel Messi's surprise reaction after full-time whistle following Inter Miami's 4-1 win over New York Red Bulls comes to light

Lionel Messi had a surprise reaction to Inter Miami's 4-1 win over New York Red Bulls in the MLS on Saturday, May 3, 2025. The Herons arrived at the game on a run of three back-to-back defeats, including against Vancouver in the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals.

The Florida-based club lost the two-legged tie with an aggregate score of 5-1, raising questions about Javier Mascherano's ability to coach the team. Inter Miami also lost their previous MLS game 4-3 to FC Dallas last weekend.

As such, the Herons needed a response on Saturday at the Chase Stadium, and the team didn't disappoint. Fafa Picault opened the scoring in the ninth minute, before Marcelo Weigandt made it 2-0 in the 30th minute.

Luis Suarez sent the Florida-based club 3-0 ahead in the 39th minute. The away side pulled one back through Eric Choupo-Moting two minutes before the break. However, Lionel Messi put the game beyond doubt in the 67th minute, securing all three points for Inter Miami.

After the final whistle, Suarez and Co. broke into a celebration on the pitch, but La Pulga was seen walking straight to the tunnel. There has been no explanation for the incident, but Lionel Messi appeared to be fatigued in the second half after another draining game.

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The Herons are currently fourth in the MLS Eastern Conference table, three points behind leaders Columbus, but have a game in hand.

How many goals has Lionel Messi scored for Inter Miami this season?

Lionel Messi has endured a slow start to the season so far and has already missed a couple of games due to injury. The Argentine will turn 38 this summer and is no longer the player he once was.

However, there's no doubt that he still remains the main man for Inter Miami. La Pulga has transformed the Herons' fortunes since joining them almost two years ago.

The Florida-based club have won the Leagues Cup and the Supporters' Shield under his leadership, although they are yet to get their hands on the MLS Cup. Despite the team's struggles this season, Messi has been among the goals.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has registered nine goals and three assists from 14 games across competitions this campaign. Although his contract with Inter Miami expires at the end of this year, the Argentine is expected to sign a new deal and stay at the Chase stadium.

About the author

Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over six years at Sportskeeda. He has written close to 9000 articles for the website, and has garnered over 19.5Million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.

Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.

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Edited by Aditya Singh