For Immediate Release
MLS Communications |
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Moments of Matchday 26:
Standout Performances from Messi, Biel, & Musa Highlight
Final Matchday Before MLS All-Star Week
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Below is a selection of the notable performances and moments from the 14 matches played on the 26th matchday of the 2025 MLS regular season on Saturday, July 19.
Highlights of the matchday included:
- On the final Matchday before the 2025 MLS All-Star Game, the league’s top talent was once again on display, as Denis Bouanga (two goals), Lionel Messi (two goals), Jordi Alba, and Sam Surridge all found the back of the net on Saturday night.
- Reigning Landon Donovan MLS MVP Lionel Messi was once again dominant, registering two goals and two assists in Inter Miami’s 5-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls. The Argentine World Cup winner assisted on each of the club’s first two goals, scored by Jordi Alba and Telasco Segovia, respectively, before scoring the team’s fourth and fifth goals of the match.
- Nashville SC, behind a first-half goal from Golden Boot presented by Audi co-leader Sam Surridge (Watch Here), continued their stay near the top of the Eastern Conference table with a 1-0 win over Toronto FC. The win was Nashville’s 14th of the season, establishing a new single-season club record.
- In typical El Tráfico fashion, there was no shortage of scoring in a 3-3 draw between LAFC and the LA Galaxy on Saturday night. LAFC’s Denis Bouanga and the Galaxy’s Gabriel Pec each bagged a brace, while Maya Yoshida scored the game-tying goal in the 90’+7’ (Watch Here).
- Midfielder Pep Biel registered two assists and a goal in Charlotte FC’s 3-2 road victory over Atlanta United, in front of 60,005 fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Biel became the first player in club history to eclipse 10 goals and 10 assists in a single season.
- The Seattle Sounders secured a 3-2 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes behind a 69th minute goal from Pedro de la Vega. The win was the club’s 10th of the season, marking the team’s 17th consecutive season with at least 10 wins – an MLS record.
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Messi Scores Twice, Assists Twice in 5-1 Miami Win
The greatest player of all-time once again demonstrated his sensational skill on Saturday night, as Lionel Messi scored twice and added two assists in Inter Miami CF’s 5-1 road victory over the New York Red Bulls (Watch Highlights of His Performance Here ). Miami (41 points, 12-4-5) remained in fifth place in the Eastern Conference table with three games in hand over each of the four teams sitting above them and is one only three teams averaging at least 1.95 points per game this season, joining Nashville (1.96) and Philadelphia (1.96).
Messi’s two goals moved the Argentine star into a tie with Sam Surridge atop the Golden Boot presented by Audi leaderboard with 18, and Messi now has the most goals in MLS since the start of the 2024 season with 38. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has 38 goals and 25 assists since the start of last season and is one of only five players in league history to record at least 35 goals and 25 assists over a two-year span, joining Robbie Keane (2013-14), Sebastian Giovinco (2015-16), Carlos Vela (2018-19), and Cucho Hernández (2023-24).
Messi and teammate Jordi Alba, who scored the club’s first goal of the match, represent the Herons on the 2025 MLS All-Star roster ahead of Wednesday’s MLS All-Star Game at Austin FC’s Q2 Stadium. Miami will return to MLS play on Saturday night, as the club hosts FC Cincinnati in an Eastern Conference battle with major stakes (7:15 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV / Apple TV+ / FS1 / FOX Deportes).
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Surridge, Nashville SC Continue Eastern Conference Surge
With a 28th-minute goal from Golden Boot presented by Audi co-leader Sam Surridge, Nashville SC secured a 1-0 victory over Toronto FC at GEODIS Park. Nashville (47 points, 14-5-5) established a new club record with its 14th win of the season and sits in second place in both the Supporters’ Shield standings and Eastern Conference standings, trailing FC Cincinnati by a single point in both.
Surridge’s goal (Watch Here) was his 18th of the season, as he became the 11th player in league history to score at least 18 goals in his team’s first 24 games of the season. Surridge was joined by Inter Miami CF’s Lionel Messi (18 goals in 21 games) in accomplishing the feat this evening, and the two players became the first duo to reach the mark since Carlos Vela and Josef Martínez in 2019.
The Englishman will now set his sights on competing in the 2025 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge presented by AT&T on Tuesday (9 p.m. ET) and the MLS All-Star Game on Wednesday (9 p.m. ET) before Nashville returns to league play on Friday against San Diego FC (10:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).
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Sounders Reach 10th Win in Back-and-Forth Affair
Danny Musovski scored twice to continue his breakout season and Pedro de la Vega delivered the decisive blow in the 69th minute (Watch Here) in Seattle’s 3-2 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday night. With the win, Seattle (37 points, 10-6-7) climbed into fourth position in the Western Conference and is unbeaten across its last five matches.
With the win, the Sounders secured its MLS-best 17th consecutive season with at least 10 wins – a feat the club has accomplished every year since entering MLS in 2009. The Portland Timbers (12 consecutive seasons from 2013-24) are the only other active club with a streak of at least 12 consecutive seasons with 10-or-more wins.
Seattle travels to Mercedes-Benz Stadium next Saturday to take on Atlanta United (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).
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Biel’s Big Night Catapults Charlotte FC Past Atlanta
In front of a crowd of 60,005 fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Charlotte FC’s Pep Biel (one goal, two assists) contributed to all three Charlotte FC goals in a 3-2 victory over Atlanta United in a southeastern showdown (Watch Highlights from His Performance Here). Charotte (35 points, 11-11-2) has won three consecutive matches and continues to climb up the tightly-packed Eastern Conference table.
With three goal contributions, Biel recorded his eighth career MLS game with multiple goal contributions, passing Karol Swiderski (seven) for the most such games in club history. He is also the first player in club history to record at least 10 goals and 10 assists in a single season.
Charlotte returns to MLS play on Saturday, as the club hosts Toronto FC at Bank of America Stadium (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Passs on Apple TV).
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Musa Powers Dallas to 3-0 Victory
While donning the club’s Legacy Kit as part of the 2025 adidas Archive Collection, Petar Musa etched his name next to some of the club’s greats by contributing to all three goals in FC Dallas’ 3-0 victory over St. Louis CITY SC on Saturday night (Watch Highlights from His Performance Here ). FC Dallas (25 points, 6-10-7) look to stay in the Western Conference playoff conversation and sit just four points outside of a postseason position entering Matchday 27.
Musa, who leads the club with 11 goals in 20 matches, has recorded 27 goals over his two-year stint with FC Dallas. Musa’s 27 goals tied Jason Kreis (1998-99) for the fourth-most over a two-year span in club history. The only players ahead of Musa on the two-year club leaderboard include Jeff Cunningham (28 goals, 2009-10), Kreis (29 goals, 1999-2000), and Jesús Ferreira (30, 2022-23).
The Croatian striker will lead Dallas back into action against New York City FC on Friday night as they continue to push for the postseason (8:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).
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