FC Cincinnati’s season concluded with a decisive 4-0 defeat to Inter Miami in the MLS Eastern Conference semifinals on November 23, 2025, a match highlighted by a dominant performance from Lionel Messi.
Messi scored the opening goal in the 19th minute, heading in a cross from Mateo Silvetti, and subsequently provided assists for Silvetti, and Tadeo Allende (twice), completing a second-half rout. The victory propelled Inter Miami to their first-ever Eastern Conference final.
The loss marked a stark contrast to earlier results this year, including a 3-0 victory for Cincinnati over Miami on July 16, 2025, where Evander scored two goals and Messi failed to find the net. Miami coach Javier Mascherano acknowledged his team’s struggles in that earlier match, stating, “We were clearly outclassed today…From the start of the match, we struggled a lot, especially in the individual encounters, to win.”
Despite controlling possession for extended periods in the first half of the playoff match, finishing with 56.7% possession, Cincinnati was unable to capitalize. Evander and Kevin Denkey created promising opportunities, but Miami’s defense, combined with Messi’s offensive contributions, proved insurmountable.
The defeat ended Cincinnati’s season and halted a five-match winning streak for last year’s Supporters’ Shield winners, their first regular-season loss since May 18. Earlier in the season, on February 20, 2026, FC Cincinnati played Inter Miami to a scoreless draw, with a late goal from Miles Robinson being disallowed due to a foul, and Roman Celentano recording his third consecutive clean sheet.
Mascherano expressed concern following the playoff loss, stating, “Obviously, I’m worried about losing.”
