Inter Miami vs DC United Final Score: 2-1 — Messi Scores His 899th Career Goal, De Paul Opens the Scoring in Baltimore
Inter Miami are on a two-game winning streak and Lionel Messi is 899 goals into one of the most extraordinary individual careers in sports history. The defending MLS champions came away from M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore with a 2-1 victory over DC United on Saturday, March 7, 2026 ET, keeping their Eastern Conference campaign alive and leaving a packed Baltimore crowd stunned by two moments of vintage Inter Miami precision.
DC United vs Inter Miami Final Score and Goal Scorers
Inter Miami secured their second consecutive victory of the 2026 MLS season with a 2-1 win over DC United in Baltimore. Rodrigo De Paul opened the scoring, while Lionel Messi extended the lead with his 899th career goal.
Miami opened the scoring in the 36th minute with a goal from Tadeo Allende, assisted by Lionel Messi. The Herons went into half up 1-0, outshooting DC United 3-2. The Black-and-Red tied the match eight minutes into the second half with a goal by Christian Benteke, assisted by Brandon Servania. Inter Miami then retook the lead and held on for the three points.
Rodrigo De Paul Opens the Scoring With a Powerful Strike
The opener came in the 17th minute, when German Berterame recovered the ball near the opponent's box. The Mexican forward quickly passed to Telasco Segovia, who set up Rodrigo De Paul to comfortably control the ball and finish with a precise right-footed strike.
Inter Miami went for more just 10 minutes later. Rodrigo De Paul received the ball inside the box and scored with another powerful strike. The Argentine midfielder was Inter Miami's most influential outfield player in the first half, turning a crisp passing move into two clinical finishes before DC United could even find their footing.
Messi Scores His 899th Career Goal — One From History
The moment every soccer fan was tracking all afternoon arrived in the second half. Lionel Messi extended the Inter Miami lead with his 899th career goal. Lionel Messi was on the verge of a massive milestone heading into this match — his 900th career goal — and his strike tonight moved him to within one of that landmark, setting up what could be the most celebrated goal in MLS history whenever it falls.
Lionel Messi leads the Inter Miami attack with 2 goals and strong offensive involvement through three matches of the 2026 MLS season, consistently taking a team-high number of shots while acting as the creative hub for the Herons' entire attacking structure.
DC United Pull One Back But Fall Short
DC United refused to go quietly and gave the traveling Inter Miami faithful a nervous final stretch. The Black-and-Red tied it at 1-1 eight minutes into the second half with a goal by Christian Benteke, assisted by Brandon Servania. Benteke's physicality caused problems throughout, and DC United's belief briefly surged — but Inter Miami's quality proved too much to overcome.
Veteran goalkeeper Sean Johnson — a 400-plus game MLS veteran in his first season at DC United — made several important stops to keep the scoreline respectable, having recorded eight saves in DC United's previous outing against Austin FC.
Inter Miami Starting XI and Roster Updates
Inter Miami started: Dayne St. Clair; Noah Allen, Micael Silva, Maximiliano Falcon, Facundo Mura; Yannick Bright, Rodrigo De Paul, Mateo Silvetti, Telasco Segovia; Lionel Messi, German Berterame.
Dayne St. Clair, the 2025 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, is still searching for his first clean sheet since joining Inter Miami. Mateo Silvetti — Inter Miami's breakout star of the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs — added his creative energy to the attack, while Berterame continued to impress in his first MLS season after joining from CF Monterrey.
What's Next: Inter Miami vs Nashville SC in CONCACAF Champions Cup
After facing DC United, Inter Miami will have little rest, as they make their debut in the Round of 16 of the CONCACAF Champions Cup against Nashville SC at Geodis Park on Wednesday, March 11. The defending MLS champions now sit at 2-1-0 with six points — second in the Eastern Conference — with Messi hovering one goal away from the most celebrated milestone of his American career. The 900th goal watch is officially on.
