Lionel Messi scores on free kick to put Inter Miami 1-0 up over Nashville SC, a sentence that has become both a recurring headline and a testament to the Argentine’s enduring genius. In a pivotal MLS match on Saturday, July 12, 2025, another moment of set-piece magic unfolded at Chase Stadium. In the 17th minute, with the game still finding its rhythm, Messi stood over the ball, a familiar sight that sends a wave of anticipation through any stadium in the world. What followed was a masterclass in execution, a goal that was not only crucial for the match’s outcome but also added another layer to his legendary career and the burgeoning rivalry between these two clubs.
The sheer volume of attention given to this single goal in a regular-season contest speaks volumes. Before Messi’s arrival, such a moment might have been a simple highlight. Today, it is a global news event, meticulously analyzed and celebrated. This shift demonstrates the profound “Messi Effect” on Major League Soccer, where every touch, every pass, and especially every dead-ball opportunity is treated with the gravity of a championship-deciding play. This goal was more than just a point on the scoreboard; it was another chapter in the transformation of a league.
#Messi in his last five MLS games:
— Match Spoots (@matchspoots) July 13, 2025
⚽ 10 goals
🅰️ 4 assists
🤯 Simply unstoppable!#InterMiami #MLS pic.twitter.com/Hcj4DYqB3q
A Stroke of Genius: How the Lionel Messi Free Kick Unlocked Nashville
The goal against Nashville was not a thunderbolt from distance or a soaring curler destined for the top corner. It was something more refined, a display of tactical intelligence as much as technical skill. It was a calculated strike designed to exploit the very mechanics of modern defending, a moment that perfectly encapsulated how Lionel Messi scores on free kick with his brain as much as his famous left foot.
The Anatomy of a Perfect Strike
Faced with a defensive wall, Messi eschewed the spectacular for the cerebral. He unleashed a clever, low strike that curled precisely around the wall of jumping Nashville players. The ball stayed close to the grass, hugging the turf as it bent past the outstretched defenders and beat goalkeeper Joe Willis at his near post. It was a textbook piece of execution, a goal born from an understanding that modern defensive walls are trained to leap high to block aerial shots. By driving the ball low, Messi turned their athleticism against them.
This calculated decision reveals a deep understanding of the game’s evolving tactics. As teams began placing a player on the ground behind the wall to prevent such strikes, the low free-kick became a higher-risk, higher-reward play. Messi’s choice was a strategic gamble, betting that he could find the sliver of space before the goalkeeper could react. The successful execution of this plan provided Inter Miami with the decisive 1-0 lead, setting the tone for a match they would ultimately win 2-1 and further cementing his reputation for set-piece mastery.
More Than a Goal: A New Milestone in the History Books
Every goal Messi scores seems to carry historical weight, and this free kick against Nashville was no exception. The strike propelled him further up one of soccer’s most prestigious all-time leaderboards, placing his name ever closer to the pinnacle of dead-ball specialists.
The Significance of Number 69
According to multiple reports, this goal marked the 69th direct free-kick of Messi’s illustrious career. While some outlets reported slightly different tallies, a common consequence of tracking statistics across numerous official and unofficial competitions, this strike undeniably moved him into rarefied air. With it, he surpassed the renowned Brazilian specialist Marcos Assunção, who retired with 68 free-kick goals, to claim sole possession of a top spot on the all-time list.
It was his sixth free-kick goal since joining Inter Miami, a clear signal that this particular weapon remains as sharp as ever and a vital component of the team’s attack. For a player who has already conquered nearly every individual and team honor, the continued pursuit of these historical milestones demonstrates a relentless drive for greatness.
Messi 🤝 back of the net
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 13, 2025
📺 #MLSSeasonPass, Apple TV+, or FS1: https://t.co/spaokP8mbY pic.twitter.com/9zh3sMsM3L
Chasing the All-Time Greats
This achievement places Messi firmly among the pantheon of free-kick legends, a list dominated by South American artists. He now finds himself in pursuit of icons like Pelé and the undisputed king of the craft, Juninho Pernambucano.
Table 1: All-Time Direct Free Kick Goal Leaders
| Rank | Player | Country | Career Free Kick Goals |
| 1 | Juninho Pernambucano | Brazil | 77 |
| 2 | Pelé | Brazil | 70 |
| 3 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | ~69 |
| 4 | Victor Legrotaglie | Argentina | 66 |
| 5 | Ronaldinho | Brazil | 66 |
| 6 | David Beckham | England | 65 |
What makes Messi’s ascent on this list particularly remarkable is that his mastery is a late-career evolution. It challenges the simple narrative of “natural talent” and speaks to a profound dedication to self-improvement. As late as March 2012, Messi had scored just five career free kicks, while his contemporary Cristiano Ronaldo had already netted 30. However, a stunning transformation followed. Messi scored seven free kicks in 2012 alone and went on to have years where he scored ten (2018) and eight (2019) from dead-ball situations. This demonstrates that his status as a free-kick specialist is not something he was born with, but a skill he deliberately honed to a world-class level well after he was already considered the best player in the world.
A Rivalry Renewed: Why a Lionel Messi Scores on Free Kick vs. Nashville Resonates
This goal against Nashville was not scored in a vacuum. It landed in the heart of a competitive and often dramatic rivalry, one defined by a historic final that still lingers in the memory of both clubs. The 2025 strike carried echoes of their epic 2023 Leagues Cup showdown.
Echoes of the 2023 Leagues Cup Final
On August 19, 2023, at a sold-out Geodis Park in Nashville, Inter Miami and Nashville SC met to decide the Leagues Cup champion. In a moment of striking symmetry, it was Lionel Messi who opened the scoring in that final as well, putting Miami ahead in the 23rd minute with a spectacular goal from outside the box. Nashville, however, showed their resilience, with Fafà Picault finding an equalizer in the second half to send the match to a penalty shootout.
What followed was one of the most dramatic shootouts in recent memory. It went a full 11 rounds, culminating in a showdown between the goalkeepers. Inter Miami’s Drake Callender scored his penalty and then saved the attempt from his counterpart, Elliot Panicco, to clinch a 10-9 victory. The win secured the first trophy in Inter Miami’s history and officially made Messi the most decorated player in the history of the sport.
The Lingering Ghost of “What If”
For Nashville, the 2023 final was a story of “what if.” They had gone toe-to-toe with the Messi-led Herons and felt they had the better of the play. Manager Gary Smith stated after the loss, “we were the better team tonight,” adding that “if it wasn’t for the man of the moment in their group, we would have won tonight”. Smith acknowledged Messi’s goal in that final was “incredible, out of nothing” and that there are moments when the Argentine is simply “unplayable”.
This sentiment created a powerful narrative for the rivalry. Nashville could rationalize the loss as a consequence of a single, unstoppable moment of genius. They had the right game plan, but were undone by magic. However, when Lionel Messi scores on free kick again in a crucial 2025 match, it serves as a painful psychological blow. It reinforces the idea that no matter how well Nashville defends, no matter how sound their tactics are, Messi possesses the key to unlock them at any moment. It transforms a one-time event into a frustrating pattern, solidifying a unique psychological dominance in this compelling MLS rivalry.
The Unstoppable Force: A Goal Within a Legendary Streak
This latest free-kick masterpiece was not an isolated incident. It was a single data point in an astonishing run of form that has seen Messi rewrite the Major League Soccer record books. The goal was simply another example of the historic consistency he has brought to the league.
When a Lionel Messi Scores on Free Kick, It’s Part of a Pattern
The match against Nashville marked Messi’s fifth consecutive multi-goal game in MLS play, a feat never before achieved in the league’s history. This incredible streak began before Inter Miami’s Club World Cup campaign and continued upon their return, with Messi scoring braces against CF Montréal (twice), the Columbus Crew, and New England before adding another two against Nashville.
This torrent of goals has catapulted him into the thick of the MLS Golden Boot race, with his season total rising to 16 goals in 16 appearances. His historic form has directly fueled Inter Miami’s surge up the Eastern Conference standings as they chase a second consecutive Supporters’ Shield. This level of sustained excellence is recalibrating the standards for an elite individual season in MLS. While the league has seen great goal-scorers, Messi is establishing new benchmarks for consistency, forcing a re-evaluation of the greatest single-season performances in league history.
Another Chapter in the Messi Effect
Ultimately, the moment Lionel Messi scores on free kick against Nashville is a perfect microcosm of his overarching impact on soccer in North America. It is a moment of sublime individual skill that directly leads to team success. It is a historical footnote that pushes him further up the all-time record books. It is a psychological weapon that adds another layer of drama to a heated rivalry.
This goal, like his debut-winning free kick against Cruz Azul or his crucial equalizer against FC Dallas, is another tangible piece of the “Messi Effect”. His arrival has transformed Inter Miami from a struggling club into a championship contender and has elevated the profile of the entire league on the global stage. As Inter Miami looks ahead to its next challenge against FC Cincinnati, one thing is certain: the world will be watching, waiting for the next inevitable moment of magic.
