Inter Miami 3–1 LA Galaxy: Player Ratings Messi Lifts Herons in Return

Lionel Messi got back to his goalscoring ways in his return from injury, and Inter Miami CF bounced back from a 4–1 loss to Orlando City SC with a 3–1 win over the LA Galaxy on Saturday night.

While Messi and fellow Argentine Rodrigo De Paul were held out of the starting lineup, both entered the match at halftime, and the Herons were able to take control from that point on.

However, it was not a convincing win for the Herons. After Jordi Alba opened the scoring off a through ball from Sergio Busquets in the 43rd minute, the Galaxy levelled the match in the 59th minute when Joseph Paintsil dribbled past three defenders and beat goalkeeper Oscar Ustari from a sharp angle.

Yet, as has been commonplace this season, Messi stepped up with a moment of brilliance to save the day for Miami, beating a pair of defenders before smashing a left-footed strike behind Novak Mivovic to score his 19th goal of the MLS regular season.

WOW 😱

Filthy Messi dime to set up Luis Suarez for the @InterMiamiCF goal. pic.twitter.com/Caf0XlsBOo
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 17, 2025

Luis Suárez further added cushion in the 89th minute, calmly slotting home his sixth goal of the season after De Paul and Messi linked up in the buildup.

The win pushes Inter Miami to 45 points and keeps them in the running for the top of the Eastern Conference, while also giving them a confidence-boost heading into the Leagues cup quarterfinal against Liga MX’s Tigres UANL on Wednesday.

Here are the player ratings from today’s game.