LIVESCORES MATCH REPORT
Columbus Crew 2–1 Inter Miami: Thiaré strikes late after Messi equaliser
Columbus Crew claimed a 2–1 MLS win over Inter Miami after Jamal Thiaré scored deep into stoppage time, following first-half goals from Josef Martínez and Lionel Messi.
Columbus Crew turned a tight Major League Soccer contest into a memorable 2–1 win over Inter Miami, with Jamal Thiaré scoring the decisive goal deep into second-half stoppage time. The result was confirmed by MLS after a match in which both sides had already found the net before half-time.
Josef Martínez gave Columbus the lead from the penalty spot in the 28th minute. Inter Miami answered five minutes later when Lionel Messi scored from a free kick, sending the teams into the break level at 1–1. That first-half response meant Columbus had to find another way through if they were to take all three points.
A winner deep into stoppage time
The decisive moment came in the 98th minute, when Thiaré scored to put Columbus back in front. MLS recorded the goal at 90+8, while Columbus Crew's own post-match coverage described it as arriving in the 99th minute. Either way, it was effectively the final major turn in a match that remained level for almost the entire second half.
The official MLS match feed also shows that Inter Miami's Santiago Morales received a second yellow card shortly before the winning goal. Columbus then capitalised late, with Thiaré's finish securing the 2–1 result. The sequence gave the home side a dramatic conclusion to a fixture that had attracted attention well beyond the United States.
Inter Miami's own recap confirmed the same scoring pattern: Martínez's penalty put Columbus ahead, Messi equalised with a free kick, and Columbus reclaimed the lead in stoppage time. Miami also reported that Messi's goal took him to 21 in the 2026 MLS season at that point.
Why the result matters
For Columbus, the victory added three important league points at a stage of the season when their playoff position remained under pressure. MLS reported after the match that the Crew had moved to within four points of ninth place in the Eastern Conference. Columbus' official report listed them on 29 points after 27 matches, with eight regular-season games still to play.
The result also continued a better short-term run for the Crew. MLS noted that it was only the second time in the 2026 league season that Columbus had won consecutive matches. That does not settle their playoff situation, but it keeps the gap manageable with the final stretch of the regular season still ahead.
For Inter Miami, the defeat interrupted a match in which Messi had again provided a decisive attacking contribution. The club's official report listed Miami on 47 points with a 12-win, five-loss and 10-draw record after the match.
What happens next
Columbus now enter an international break before returning to MLS action away to Orlando City on 10 October. Their next home match is scheduled to be the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final against St. Louis CITY SC on 21 October.
Inter Miami are also due back in league action on 10 October, when they are scheduled to host D.C. United. For both clubs, the remaining weeks of the season now carry different pressures: Columbus are trying to close the playoff gap, while Miami will look to recover quickly from a defeat settled only in the final moments.