MIAMI, March 2, (V7N) – Lionel Messi scored twice, including a crucial free-kick in the dying moments, as Inter Miami staged a thrilling comeback to defeat Orlando City 4-2 in Major League Soccer's Florida derby on Sunday.

Reigning MLS champions Miami, who were stunned in their season opener last week, found themselves in a deep hole after Orlando City raced into a 2-0 lead in the first half.

The match started brightly for Orlando, with Croatian winger Marco Pasalic opening the scoring in the 18th minute. Pasalic calmly swept in a low shot after Ivan Angulo’s precise cross caught Miami off guard following a midfield turnover.

Just six minutes later, Orlando doubled their lead. Right-back Griffin Dorsey surged forward and squared the ball to Argentine striker Martin Ojeda, who made no mistake in firing home, leaving Miami with a mountain to climb.

Miami's efforts to respond came through Messi and Argentina teammate Rodrigo De Paul. De Paul fired a thunderous shot from distance in the 28th minute, which was expertly saved by Orlando’s goalkeeper, Maxime Crepeau. Messi also saw a close-range effort denied by Crepeau, but Miami refused to give up.

The game changed dramatically after the break. Substitute Mateo Silvetti gave Miami a lifeline in the 49th minute, blasting a stunning 25-yard strike past Crepeau to pull one back for Miami.

Messi, as always, stepped up when needed. In the 57th minute, he collected the ball on the edge of the box and curled a perfect left-foot shot past Crepeau to level the score at 2-2.

With the game tied, Messi turned provider in the 85th minute, sending a brilliant pass through to Telasco Segovia, who slotted the ball coolly into the corner to give Miami the lead.

In the dying seconds, Messi sealed the victory with a brilliant free-kick from long-range, which snuck under Crepeau to make it 4-2 and complete a memorable comeback for the MLS champions.With Messi’s brilliance shining through, Miami’s comeback delivered a perfect response to their season-opening defeat and reaffirmed their title credentials for the 2026 campaign.

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