Inter Miami 2-2 NY Red Bulls: Teenager Adri Mehmeti denies Messi’s side in dramatic finish

Fort Lauderdale, FL – A stadium christened only seven days earlier was treated to its first real cliff-hanger on Saturday night, as 17-year-old Adri Mehmeti’s maiden Major League Soccer goal seven minutes from time lifted the New York Red Bulls into a 2-2 draw with Inter Miami and denied Lionel Messi a victory in his second home appearance of the 2026 campaign.

The result preserves Miami’s unbeaten streak at six matches (3-1-3) and keeps the defending MLS Cup champions atop the early-season standings, yet the taste inside the new ground was one of frustration after the hosts surrendered a lead they had seized through Germán Berterame in the 55th minute.

Mateo Silvetti had earlier cancelled Jorge Ruvalcaba’s opener for the Red Bulls, who arrived in South Florida winless in four of their previous five outings (3-2-2). Ruvalcaba struck first to silence the sell-out crowd, but Miami’s response was swift: Silvetti levelled before the break, setting the stage for the evening’s central narrative—Messi’s vision versus Mehmeti’s fearlessness.

With four Red Bulls defenders converging on the Argentine in the 55th, Messi elected against shooting, instead seeing the ball poked away—only for it to roll invitingly to Berterame, who rifled a right-footed effort past Ethan Horvath. Messi’s immediate headlock embrace of the Mexican midfielder underlined the moment’s significance: it was Miami’s first lead in roughly 150 minutes of play in their new arena after last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Austin FC.

The advantage appeared sufficient until Julian Hall, himself only 18, darted free down the right in the 77th and cut a low ball back to Mehmeti. The academy product, born two days after Messi’s famous two-goal Champions League performance for Barcelona on 8 April 2009, side-footed home from close range to make it 2-2 and etch his name alongside the sport’s all-time great on the scoresheet.

Both sides saw goals correctly nullified by offside flags in the second half, the visitors’ after a video review, while Horvath produced a stoppage-time parry to deny Messi a 25-yard free-kick winner in the 94th minute.

Inter Miami will now turn their attention to a mid-week trip, while the Red Bulls return to the New York area buoyed by a point snatched late and proof that their youth movement can stand toe-to-toe with the league’s marquee names.

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