Lionel Messi continued to make history for Inter Miami on Saturday night, racking up his 400th career assist as he led the Herons past the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs with a Game 3 win over Nashville SC.
Miami prevailed 4–0 in the deciding game of the best-of-three series, and Messi starred like nobody else with two goals and as many assists. In total, the 38-year-old recorded five goals and three assists over the three games, having involvement in every goal his side scored.
His early playoff output, which followed 29 goals and 19 assists in 29 regular-season games, brought the Argentine maestro to 400 career assists and 894 goals for club and country. Messi has the most assists among active players and is only four off Ferenc Puskás’s all-time record of 404.
MESSI BRACE. 🇦🇷
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 9, 2025
Alba to Silvetti to Messi. 2-0. // Audi MLS Cup Playoffs pic.twitter.com/oCBsgfcf4a
When it comes to assists, Messi has spread his output across every club and with his senior national team. With FC Barcelona, he recorded 303 assists, while posting 35 with Paris Saint-Germain and 39 with Inter Miami. Additionally, he has 63 assists with Argentina.
With his five goals in the playoffs so far, Messi also became just the 13th player in MLS history to score that many in a single postseason. Should Miami make a deep run, which could be as many as three more matches, he could chase Carlos Ruiz’s record of eight goals scored with the LA Galaxy in 2002.
Messi Assists Breakdown
Having advanced past Nashville in the first round, Messi and third-seed Miami now prepare for a single-knockout Eastern Conference semifinal against second-seed FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium, with hopes of advancing to face either the Philadelphia Union or New York City FC in the Eastern Conference Final.
With the win, they also dispelled any doubts after crashing out in the first round of the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs, despite outstanding performances from Messi and others.
Messi Doing ‘Crazy’ Things On and Off the Ball
Inter Miami scored eight goals during their series win over Nashville in the MLS playoffs.
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) November 9, 2025
Lionel Messi had a hand in six of them. pic.twitter.com/rX6w4VQ8kI
For all the accolades his performance in possession will rightly receive, Messi’s endeavor off the ball was lauded by Javier Mascherano. “Leo is the one who guided our team in the high press, and for him to do that at age 38 is crazy,” Inter Miami’s coach gushed.
“We all know what he can do with the ball, but what he did without the ball was impressive.”
Thanks in no small part to their talismanic No. 10 Inter Miami have an Eastern Conference semifinal against FC Cincinnati to look forward to later this month. The Herons have already advanced further than ever before during the franchise’s short history, yet Miami are hoping for more.
“There was no option to lose. I’ve carried that pain of last year,” said defender Noah Allen. “I know there’s a lot of new guys, but the players that were here last year definitely carried it. We’re a team of high exceptions. We’re not a team that’s a first-round exit.”
Should they win the Eastern Conference this fall, they would play for MLS Cup on Dec. 6 against the champion of the Western Conference, which would be one of Thomas Muller’s Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Son Heung-min’s LAFC, San Diego FC, Portland Timbers or Minnesota United.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lionel Messi Hits Outrageous Milestone in Inter Miami Win, Closing on All Time Record .
