Inter Miami: Three-Goal Lead Vanishes in Season Finale
Charlotte equalized with a 90th-minute goal to force a 3-3 draw, leaving Inter Miami second in the Eastern Conference with 60 points.
By Nadia Rahman ·
The 2026 Major League Soccer regular season concluded on Saturday with a dramatic shift in momentum at the Nu Stadium in Miami.
Inter Miami surrendered a 3-0 halftime advantage to end the match in a 3-3 draw against Charlotte. The result secured the second seed in the Eastern Conference for Miami, which finished with 60 points. Charlotte, the fifth seed, will face the second seed in the first round of the playoffs. The conference standings were finalized after New England Revolution lost 1-0 to Orlando City, cementing Orlando in third place.
Lionel Messi finished the campaign with 26 goals. He is positioned to become the first player in league history to win the Golden Boot award in consecutive seasons. The Inter Miami attack produced three goals in the first half. Ian Fray opened the scoring at the 14th minute following a corner kick. Luis Suárez added the second goal at the 33rd minute after a header from Germán Berterame. Rodrigo De Paul extended the lead to 3-0 at the 42nd minute with a shot from outside the penalty area.
Charlotte responded in the second half with two rapid goals. Liel Abada scored at the 50th and 55th minutes to bring the score to 3-2. Rodolfo Aloko equalized in the 90th minute. He capitalized on a rebound after Tyger Smalls hit the ball against the post. This marked the second time this season Miami fell behind after leading 3-0. The previous instance occurred on May 2, when Orlando City won 4-3.
Elsewhere in the league, Nashville SC defeated Cincinnati 2-0. The victory gave Nashville 77 points, breaking the single-season points record of 74 set by Inter Miami in 2024. Nashville had already secured the Supporters’ Shield. In the West, Vancouver Whitecaps finished as the top team with 64 points after a 2-0 win over Montreal. Columbus Crew defeated Chicago Fire 4-3, with Gonzalo Tapia scoring twice. Philadelphia Union advanced to the playoffs with a 4-1 victory over Toronto.
The playoff schedule begins on November 20. Miami will host the first leg of its best-of-three series against Columbus Crew. The Eastern Conference bracket also features the third seed, Orlando City, and the fourth seed, which is not explicitly named in the source but is implied by the standings of the top five teams mentioned.
