Messi's 100th appearance ends in agony as Orlando City stun Inter Miami 4-3 from 3-0 down

Key facts

• Inter Miami led 3-0 at halftime before Orlando City scored four unanswered goals, including a 93rd-minute winner by Tyrese Spicer.
• Martin Ojeda scored a hat-trick for Orlando City, pulling one back before halftime and equalizing in the second half.
• Lionel Messi recorded one goal, one primary assist and one secondary assist in his 100th appearance for Inter Miami.
• Inter Miami fell from second to third in the Eastern Conference with a record of five wins, two losses and four ties.
• Orlando City moved to 13th place in the East with three wins, seven losses and one tie.
• Inter Miami have now played four matches at Nu Stadium without a win since its opening in early April.
• Ian Fray opened the scoring in the 4th minute with his first goal of the season, having overcome four knee surgeries.

A night of shattered expectations at Nu Stadium

Inter Miami appeared poised to finally secure their first victory at Nu Stadium, building a commanding 3-0 lead within the first half-hour of Saturday's Florida Derby. Instead, they suffered their worst loss of the season, falling 4-3 to Orlando City in a match that will be remembered as one of Major League Soccer's most dramatic turnarounds. The defeat extended Inter Miami's winless run at their new home to four matches since it opened in early April. The Herons had entered the match unbeaten in nine games, but the collapse dropped them from second to third place in the Eastern Conference standings.

How the first half unfolded: Miami's dominance and Messi's milestone

The hosts took just three minutes to open the scoring when Telasco Segovia delivered a cross that Micael headed home. Ian Fray, a Coconut Creek native who has overcome four knee surgeries since joining Inter Miami, added a second goal in the fourth minute with a header. At the 25-minute mark, a combination between Luis Suarez and Messi ended with Segovia finishing the move, putting Inter Miami up 3-0. Lionel Messi then added his own goal with a long-range strike, capping a first half in which he recorded one goal, one primary assist and one secondary assist. The match marked his 100th appearance for Inter Miami across all competitions, a milestone that highlighted his transformative impact on the club. In his first 99 matches, Messi had amassed 128 goal contributions — 85 goals and 43 assists.

Orlando City's revival: Ojeda's hat-trick and Spicer's winner

Orlando City pulled one back before halftime through Martin Ojeda, setting the stage for a remarkable second-half resurgence. Inter Miami ceded control after the break, opting to exploit spaces on the counterattack but lacking precision. Ojeda took control of the match, scoring two more goals to level the score at 3-3. In the 93rd minute, with eight minutes of added time announced, Tyrese Spicer got behind Inter Miami's defense to score the game-winner. The Miami crowd booed the referees after a possible foul in the box was not called on Orlando City in the final minutes, but the visitors' comeback was complete.

Reactions: Disbelief, frustration, and a coach's defense of his players

Inter Miami players expressed devastation after the defeat. Right back Ian Fray said, "That's the toughest thing. We still haven't won here yet. This was supposed to be the game, up 3-0, that we have to close out. And we missed a huge opportunity." Left back Noah Allen added, "It's devastating, really, especially with the way we started. I'm almost like broken. I feel like my girlfriend just broke up with me, if I'm honest." Interim coach Guillermo Hoyos, who took over less than three weeks ago after Javier Mascherano's sudden departure, closed his postgame press conference after a seven-minute answer to the opening question. "I love my players," Hoyos said. "I care about my players because they are my kind, and you will not hear a word from me in a press conference that harms any player to save myself."

The stakes: A missed opportunity and a rivalry redefined

The result was only Inter Miami's second loss of the season, but it carried outsized significance. The Herons had been unbeaten in nine games and were chasing a top spot in the Eastern Conference. Instead, they let a historic win slip away at their new stadium, where they have now played four matches without a victory. For Orlando City, the win was only their third of the season, lifting them from the bottom of the standings to 13th place. The comeback victory, the largest in the history of the Florida Derby, will resonate as a defining moment in the rivalry. Inter Miami's next chance to break their home winless streak comes on May 17 against Portland.

What comes next: Questions over officiating and team resolve

Fray voiced frustration with the officiating, saying, "I don't know how the fines work, so I don't want to get fined. But this guy, something needs to change. We've had him before and he's made really bad decisions. But that's all I'm going to say about the referee. We should have won the game anyway." The comments underscored the tension surrounding a match that saw a potential foul in the box go uncalled in the final minutes. Inter Miami must now regroup ahead of their next fixture, with questions about their ability to close out games and defend leads. The loss exposed vulnerabilities that had been masked by their unbeaten run, and the team's response in the coming weeks will determine whether this collapse becomes a turning point or a temporary setback.

The bottom line

• Inter Miami blew a 3-0 halftime lead to lose 4-3 at home, their worst loss of the season and their fourth straight match without a win at Nu Stadium.
• Lionel Messi contributed a goal and two assists in his 100th appearance for the club, but his efforts were not enough to prevent the collapse.
• Martin Ojeda's hat-trick for Orlando City was the standout individual performance, while Tyrese Spicer scored the stoppage-time winner.
• Inter Miami fell from second to third in the Eastern Conference, while Orlando City climbed to 13th with only their third win of the season.
• Interim coach Guillermo Hoyos defended his players after the defeat, while players expressed frustration with the officiating and their own failure to close out the game.
• The result marks the largest comeback in the history of the Florida Derby and raises questions about Inter Miami's ability to perform under pressure at their new stadium.