Inter Miami Draws Charlotte FC 3-3 in Season Finale
Inter Miami finished second in the Eastern Conference with 60 points after a 3-3 draw with Charlotte FC in the regular-season finale.
Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Soccer
Inter Miami led Charlotte FC 3-0 at halftime before Liel Abada scored twice and Rodolfo Aloko equalized in the 90th minute to make it 3-3. Nashville finished the regular season with 77 points after a 2-0 win over Cincinnati, breaking Miami's MLS single-season record.
Why it matters
The draw fixed Inter Miami's seeding for the MLS playoffs, where it will open a best-of-three first-round series at home as the No. 2 seed. Nashville's record-setting point total reshapes the league's benchmark for regular-season performance.
Lionel Messi finished the season with 26 goals, and Inter Miami's 60 points placed it second in the East, while Nashville's 77 points exceeded the previous MLS single-season record of 74 set by Miami in 2024.
The players
Lionel Messi
Argentine forward and Inter Miami star who finished the season with 26 goals and is poised to become the first player in MLS history to win back-to-back Golden Boots.
Inter Miami CF
Miami-based MLS club that finished second in the Eastern Conference with 60 points this season.
Charlotte FC
North Carolina-based MLS club that drew Inter Miami 3-3 in the regular-season finale.
The details
Ian Fray scored in the 14th minute, Luis Suárez in the 33rd, and Rodrigo De Paul in the 42nd to give Miami a 3-0 halftime lead. Abada scored in the 50th and 55th minutes before Aloko's rebound equalizer in the 90th minute after Tyger Smalls hit the post.
Timeline
November 7, 2026: Inter Miami and Charlotte FC draw 3-3 in the regular-season finale.
November 20, 2026: MLS playoffs begin.
Season Trajectory
Nashville's 77 points surpass the 74-point single-season record Inter Miami set in 2024, reshaping the league benchmark for regular-season performance. Miami's second-place East finish with 60 points positions it for a home-opening first-round playoff series as the No. 2 seed.
Inter Miami's No. 2 seed gives it a home-opening first-round series, which affects ticket planning for local fans. Fantasy managers tracking Messi should note his 26-goal total and his pursuit of back-to-back Golden Boots.
The takeaway
Nashville's record 77-point season and Inter Miami's second-place East finish show how tightly contested the conference table became in the final weeks. Readers tracking the playoffs should watch the first-round home series that starts November 20.
What happens next
Inter Miami opens its best-of-three first-round playoff series at home as the No. 2 seed once the MLS playoffs begin on November 20, 2026.
Further reading
For more on the club's season, see Soccer coverage in Miami.
