MLS 2026: The South Beach Shocker | Orlando City Stuns Inter Miami
In a game that will go down as an all-time MLS classic, Orlando City SC pulled off a miraculous comeback on May 2, 2026, defeating Inter Miami CF 4-3. What appeared to be a celebratory night for the Herons—marking David Beckham’s 51st birthday and Lionel Messi’s 100th appearance for the club—turned into a nightmare as they squandered a commanding 3-0 lead.
Match Snapshot: The Great Collapse
| Feature | Details |
| Score | Inter Miami 3 – 4 Orlando City |
| Venue | Nu Stadium, Miami (Inter Miami’s first-ever loss at this venue). |
| Stat of the Match | Orlando is just the 4th team in MLS history to win after trailing by 3 goals. |
| The Streak Ends | Inter Miami’s 11-game unbeaten run across all competitions is over. |
1. The First Half: Total Miami Dominance
For the first 33 minutes, Miami looked like the reigning champions they are.
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4′ – Early Strike: Ian Fray opened the scoring after a slick combination between Messi and Telasco Segovia.
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25′ – Double Lead: Telasco Segovia found the net, assisted by the veteran duo of Messi and Luis Suárez.
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33′ – The Century Mark: In his 100th game, Lionel Messi scored to make it 3-0. At this point, Miami’s win probability was near 100%.
2. The Ojeda Masterclass
Martín Ojeda almost single-handedly dragged Orlando back into the contest with a historic hat trick.
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39′ – The Lifeline: Ojeda dribbled past three defenders before firing a long-range rocket to make it 3-1 before the half.
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68′ – The Setup: Following a cross from Adrián Marín, Ojeda rifled home his second to make it 3-2.
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79′ – The Equalizer: After Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair made a point-blank save to briefly deny him, Ojeda coolly converted a penalty to tie the game at 3-3.
3. The Stoppage-Time Heartbreak
With the game deep into added time and Miami pushing for a winner, Orlando struck on the counter.
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90+3′ – The Dagger: Braian Ojeda sent a perfect through-ball to Tyrese Spicer, who calmly slotted it past St. Clair to complete the 4-3 turnaround.
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Final Moments: The match ended in chaos as Messi and several Miami players argued with officials over missed calls, but the result stood—a “South Beach Shocker.”
Player Stats Spotlight
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Lionel Messi (MIA): 1 Goal, 2 Assists in 90 minutes.
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Martín Ojeda (ORL): 3 Goals (Hat Trick), 6 Shots, 9.88 Match Rating.
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Tyrese Spicer (ORL): Match-winning goal in the 93rd minute.