Messi After Farewell: Miami 4-0, 23 Goals, MVP March
Oct 16: after the farewell, the show goes on — Messi farewell Tuesday in Buenos Aires (126th and final goal vs Benin, 21-year Argentina tenure ends).
Key takeaways
- Reported Fri: farewell Tuesday Buenos Aires (126th + final Argentina goal vs Benin, 21-year tenure ends); four days later Miami 4-0 D.C. United (Suarez 3'/39', Messi 47'/60', Berterame 2 assists, De Paul assist; full 90; Johnson beaten 4 times).
- League-leading 23 goals + 13 assists; goal contribution 10 straight games (first time); 4-goal Golden Boot cushion; prohibitive 3rd straight MVP favourite. First win since Aug 29; first league win for Kily Gonzalez (arrived Sep 16); snapped 5 winless; D.C. winless in 5. Contract to 2028; Libertadores tease; coach: enjoy him.
- Second thread: Yamal historic Young Talent hat-trick watch (2024, 2025, 2026?; rivals Cubarsi/Diomande/Bouaddi; Oct 26 London).
Tuesday tears in Buenos Aires, Saturday goals in Miami: 126th and last for Argentina, then 47th and 60th minute for Miami. The farewell ended one story; the next chapter scored twice. Friday’s inspiration in nine parts: the goodbye, the response, the numbers, the partner, the coach, the future, the kid, the method, and the message.
From the touchline — Elena Marsh: Farewell week via AP/ESPN/Fox (Oct 10-11: 126th + final vs Benin, 21-year tenure, full 90 four days later, Suarez 3’/39’, Messi 47’/60’, Berterame 2 assists, De Paul assist, Johnson, 23 goals + 13 assists, 10 straight games, 3rd MVP push, first win since Aug 29, Kily Gonzalez first league win since Sep 16 arrival, 5 winless snapped, D.C. winless 5, contract 2028, Libertadores tease, coach enjoy-him Oct 9, NYCFC Wednesday), ballondor.com (Oct 13: Yamal double nomination, hat-trick watch, rivals). Matches reported only.
The goodbye: 126th and last
The night Buenos Aires cried. Tuesday: farewell match, 126th and final Argentina goal vs Benin, ending a 21-year tenure. Emotional, packed, unforgettable — the curtain on the greatest international career. Neymar’s tribute beforehand said it all. Goodbye: 126 goals, one era, zero dry eyes.
discover our 375 monsoon captions and quotes for instagram to make rainy guide · discover our ai travel agents 2026 guide · discover our automne 2026 saison reine du slow travel guide
The response: 4-0, full 90
Four days later, business. Miami 4-0 D.C. United (Saturday — Suarez 3’/39’ first-half brace; Messi 47’ tap-in off Suarez centre; Messi 60’ solo (De Paul pass, two defenders beaten, 12 yards past Johnson); Berterame 2 assists; full 90). First win since the Aug 29 7-1 vs Montreal; 5 winless snapped (4 draws + 1 loss); first league win for Kily Gonzalez (arrived Sep 16); D.C. winless in 5. Response: tears Tuesday, two goals Saturday — the show goes on.
The numbers: 23 + 13
Count the greatness. League-leading 23 goals (4-goal Golden Boot cushion) + 13 assists. Goal contribution 10 straight MLS games — first time ever. 3rd straight MVP: prohibitive favourite. At 39: the numbers of a peak, the joy of a kid. Numbers: football counts goals; legends count decades.
The partner: Suarez 2 + 2
The old guard, together. Suarez brace (3’/39’) + assist for Messi’s first (6-yard centre); Berterame double headers + 2 assists; De Paul the 60’ assist. Uruguay + Argentina + youth: the Americas combine. Partners: strikers feed strikers — 39 and 39, timeless.
The coach: enjoy him
The order from the bench. Kily Gonzalez (Oct 9): Argentina will miss him terribly; fans must enjoy his Miami time — “soak up all the love”. First league win Saturday: the coach’s era opens with four goals. Coach: intensity shared, joy ordered — enjoy him while he plays.
The future: 2028 + Libertadores
Not done yet. Miami contract to 2028. Libertadores tease: Dominguez joked, Gonzalez didn’t shut it down — “fundamental player… take a leading role”. NYCFC Wednesday (next); D.C. faces Red Bulls Wednesday. Future: club years left, continental dreams open — the story has chapters.
The kid: Yamal’s hat-trick watch
The other history pending. Yamal double-nominated (Men’s + Young Talent): a third straight Young Talent (2024, 2025, 2026?) would be unprecedented (winners: Mbappe 2018, De Ligt 2019, Pedri 2021, Gavi 2022, Bellingham 2023, Yamal 2024-25). Rivals: Cubarsi, Diomande, Bouaddi. At 19, world champion with Spain. Kid: one wins MVPs at 39, the other chases history at 19 — football’s beautiful overlap.
The method: grief to goals
The week’s arc. Tuesday: farewell tears (Buenos Aires). Saturday: two goals (Miami). Wednesday: NYCFC (next). Oct 26: London (Yamal’s date). Method: mourn Tuesday, score Saturday, dream Wednesday — the athlete’s calendar.
The tributes: Neymar + Hollywood
The week of goodbyes. Neymar’s emotional tribute ahead of the farewell (Oct 6) — love football more. Disney executive-producer role in the works (Oct 5) — Messi prepares the farewell with cameras. Kily’s order (Oct 9): enjoy him, soak up the love — from Argentina and beyond. Tributes: teammates cry, studios call, coaches order joy.
The league: 23 and counting
The MVP math. 23 goals (league lead, 4-goal cushion) + 13 assists; 10 straight games with a contribution (first time); 3rd straight MVP: prohibitive favourite. NYCFC Wednesday (next test); D.C. faces Red Bulls Wednesday. Chasers: four goals back, ten games running out. League: the Boot is his to lose, the MVP his to confirm.
The shortlist: 30 names, one London night
The company he keeps. Ballon d’Or 30-man: Kane, Yamal, Mbappe, Messi (first nomination since 2023!), Rodri (2024 winner), Dembele (2025 winner), Kvara, Haaland, Vinicius, Bellingham + nine PSG players (Hakimi, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, Pacho, Kvara, Neves, Ruiz, Vitinha, Dembele). Women: Putellas, Pajor, Dumornay (Bonmati out). Oct 26 London, 70th. Shortlist: the GOAT nominated again at 39, the kid chasing history at 19.
The streaks: ten and five
The runs that matter. Ten straight MLS games with a goal contribution (first time ever). Five winless snapped (4 draws + 1 loss). D.C. winless in five. First win since Aug 29. Streaks: one extends to ten, one ends at five — momentum is a choice the great ones make, and Miami chose Saturday — four goals, three points, one statement that the farewell changed nothing about the winning — except making every goal since feel like a gift fans unwrap twice, once for the score and once for the man who keeps giving encores long after the farewell tour ended.
The message: the show goes on
What the week whispers. Endings birth beginnings: 21 years close, new chapters open. Age is a number: 39 scores doubles, 19 chases trebles. Joy is the job: “soak up all the love”. Message: cry Tuesday, celebrate Saturday, believe Wednesday — the show goes on, and the Ballon d’Or is ten days away in London town, folks.
