DENVER — Lionel Messi scored twice, including a go-ahead goal in the 79th minute, as Inter Miami defeated the Colorado Rapids 3-2 in a Major League Soccer match on Saturday in Denver. The win lifted Inter Miami to a record of 4-1-3 with 15 points, while Colorado fell to 4-4-0 with 12 points.

Inter Miami opened the scoring in the 18th minute after Yannick Bright intercepted a pass from Colorado goalkeeper Zack Steffen. Following a video review, Josh Atencio was shown a yellow card for a foul in the penalty area, and Messi converted the resulting penalty by rolling his shot down the middle.

Miami doubled the lead in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time. Messi initiated the sequence with a tight touch pass to Rodrigo De Paul, who found Mateo Silvetti. Silvetti's cross was headed in by German Berterame.

The Colorado Rapids pulled a goal back in the 58th minute when Rafael Navarro cut the deficit to 2-1. Four minutes later, Darren Yapi equalized for the Rapids in the 62nd minute.

Messi restored Miami's lead in the 79th minute, running unchallenged from just inside midfield before placing a shot into the upper left corner. Wayne Frederick later attempted a one-touch lob over an open net but missed. Bright was shown a red card and sent off in the 87th minute.

The attendance at Empower Field was 75,824, the second-largest crowd in MLS history. The match drew one of the largest audiences in league history as Miami, featuring Messi, continued its 2025 MLS season on the road.