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Inter Miami salvaged a 2-2 draw against FC Cincinnati on October 28, 2026, after substitute Riquelme Fillipi scored in the 90th minute to cap a dramatic second half at Nu Stadium. Lionel Messi played the full match but was unable to find the net, as Luis Suárez’s opener was answered by two quick Cincinnati goals before Fillipi rescued a point for the hosts.
The result mattered in the Eastern Conference race. Inter Miami slipped to third after New England Revolution beat the New York Red Bulls 3-2, leaving Miami two points behind New England with two regular-season matches remaining. Cincinnati, meanwhile, missed an opportunity to strengthen its position in the playoff race.
The first half ended goalless, with Messi booked in the 44th minute. The Argentina captain had a shot blocked before the break, but neither side found the decisive opening during a cautious first period.
Inter Miami broke the deadlock in the 61st minute. Casemiro supplied the pass for Suárez, who finished to put the home side ahead 1-0. The goal appeared to give Miami the platform to control the closing stages, but Cincinnati responded strongly in the final 10 minutes.
Kenji Mboma Dem equalised in the 80th minute, finishing after a move created by Evander. Six minutes later, Samuel Gidi scored to put Cincinnati 2-1 ahead. The visitors had turned the match around in a short spell, leaving Miami facing the prospect of another costly result in the closing weeks of the regular season.
Miami found an answer in the 90th minute. Fillipi, introduced from the bench, finished after Rodrigo De Paul delivered the ball into the area. The goal was reported as Fillipi’s first in Major League Soccer and restored parity at 2-2. Miami then had to remain alert in stoppage time, with Ian Fray blocking a dangerous effort from Evander to help preserve the draw.
Messi’s influence was less visible on the scoresheet than in some of Miami’s recent matches. He completed the game and received a yellow card in the first half, but did not score. His side instead relied on Suárez’s finishing and Fillipi’s late intervention to avoid defeat.
Suárez’s 61st-minute strike gave Miami the lead, while Fillipi’s late goal showed the value of fresh attacking options from the bench. De Paul’s delivery created the equaliser, and the late defensive block from Fray prevented Cincinnati from potentially taking all three points in stoppage time.
For Cincinnati, the quick goals from Mboma Dem and Gidi demonstrated how rapidly the contest could swing. Yet the team could not hold its advantage through the final whistle, leaving it with one point rather than a win that would have improved its playoff position.
The draw left Inter Miami third in the Eastern Conference. New England’s 3-2 victory over the Red Bulls put the Revolution on 58 points, two ahead of Miami with two matches remaining. The teams are scheduled to meet in Foxborough on November 1, making the next fixture particularly important for the final playoff seeding.
Miami closes its regular season at home against Charlotte on November 7. With little room left in the schedule, dropping points in a match it once led will feel costly, even though Fillipi’s late goal avoided a defeat. The team will need greater defensive stability if it is to keep pressure on the clubs above it.
Cincinnati’s focus turns to a home match against Philadelphia Union on October 31. The draw at Miami was a missed opportunity to move closer to formally securing a playoff berth, but the late attacking response showed the side can create chances under pressure. Its remaining fixtures will determine whether the point gained in Florida proves valuable.
The match was a reminder that a lead is not secure when a game becomes stretched late. Miami had moved ahead through Suárez, but Cincinnati scored twice in six minutes to threaten an away win. Fillipi’s equaliser rescued the hosts, while Fray’s late block protected the result.
For Messi and Inter Miami, the immediate challenge is to turn a late escape into a more complete performance against New England. The 2-2 scoreline kept Miami from losing ground entirely, but the Eastern Conference race remains tight and the next match carries significant consequences for seeding ahead of the playoffs.
