Published on: Nov 30, 2025 12:44 pm IST
Early on in the match, with Miami leading 1-0, there was a brief altercation in the middle of the pitch as players from both teams were involved in a spat over a rough tackle. Messi wasn’t part of the main melee in the centre of the pitch as hordes of Miami and NYCFC, but did get caught up in exhanging extremely heated words with his Argentinian compatriot Maximiliano Moralez.
Moralez, another 38-year-old attacking midfielder just like Messi is, had left a late challenge on Inter Miami player Maximiliano Falcon, and the incident left Messi with a few choice words for his countryman. Messi had to be held back by Australian midfielder on NYCFC Aiden O’Neill, who tried to keep the altercation down to a minimum.
Messi and Moralez have shared pictures and swapped jerseys in the past, and are therefore by no means strangers to each other. However, that element only added fuel to the fire in this duel in the middle.
Miami thrash NYCFC, Allende stars
Ultimately, Messi and his team would have the last laugh, as they let their football do the talking. Tadeo Allende had opened the scoring early for Miami, and added a second later in the first half to continue his remarkable scoring streak. NYCFC pulled a goal back before half-time, but Mateo Silvetti and Telasco Segovia added two more in the second half to make it an unassailable lead.
Finally, Allende would finish things off in the 89th minute with a goal that added gloss to the scoreline and helped the Argentinian winger complete his hat-trick. Miami were crowned the Eastern Conference champions thanks to this heavy win, and will now await the victor of the Western Conference Final between San Diego FC and Vancouver Whitecaps to face off against the the Cup Final.
