Messi Leads Inter Miami to Victory Over Rapids in Front of Record Crowd

Lionel Messi scored twice to lift Inter Miami CF over the Colorado Rapids 3-2 at Empower Field in Denver.

Apr. 19, 2026 at 1:41am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a soccer match with overlapping planes of bright red, blue, and yellow, capturing the energy and excitement of the game.Lionel Messi's late heroics lift Inter Miami over the hard-charging Colorado Rapids in a thrilling match that could inspire a new generation of soccer fans in Denver.Denver Today

In a thrilling match in front of a record crowd of 75,824 at Empower Field, Lionel Messi scored the game-winning goal in the 79th minute to lead Inter Miami CF to a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Rapids. The Rapids fought back from a 2-0 halftime deficit with two second-half goals from Rafael Navarro and Darren Yapi, but Messi's late strike proved to be the difference.

Why it matters

The match delivered an exciting product that could help bring new soccer fans to the Rapids' home stadium, Dick's Sporting Goods Park, in the future. Despite the loss, the Rapids proved they can compete with the league's top teams, which was a missing piece earlier in the season.

The details

The Rapids conceded two first-half goals due to mistakes, with Messi converting a penalty kick and Germán Berterame scoring just before halftime. But Colorado came out strong in the second half, with Navarro and Yapi netting goals to tie the match. Messi then scored the winner in the 79th minute, cutting inside and curling a shot into the top corner to give Inter Miami the victory.

  • The penalty kick was awarded in the 17th minute after a bad turnover by the Rapids.
  • Berterame scored just before halftime, in the final 20 seconds of the first half.
  • Navarro scored in the 58th minute to pull the Rapids within one.
  • Yapi scored in the 62nd minute to tie the match at 2-2.
  • Messi scored the game-winning goal in the 79th minute.

The players

Lionel Messi

The legendary Argentine forward who scored two goals, including the game-winner, to lead Inter Miami to victory.

Rafael Navarro

The Rapids forward who scored one of Colorado's two goals in the second-half comeback.

Darren Yapi

The Denver native who came off the bench and scored the tying goal for the Rapids in the 62nd minute.

Matt Wells

The Rapids head coach who was proud of his team's performance, despite the loss, and believes they can compete with the league's top teams.

Rob Holding

The Rapids defender who acknowledged the team's mistakes in the first half but said they can build on the performance.

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What they’re saying

“Nothing but pride for the performance, it's a travesty we didn't win the game. … I'm proud that we're changing the status quo — we were the dominant team on the pitch today and that's the thing that makes me the happiest.”

— Matt Wells, Rapids Head Coach

“(The goals were) a bit frustrating and not deserved. I saw the stats on the big screen, we had six or seven shots and they had two, and that's just how football goes. Sometimes teams come in, have 20% possession and go away with a win. But it's something we can build on in terms of our performance and be more ruthless in the final third.”

— Rob Holding, Rapids Defender

What’s next

The Rapids will look to build on this performance when they travel to face LAFC and Vancouver, the top two teams in the Western Conference, in their next two matches.

The takeaway

Despite the loss, the Rapids proved they can compete with the league's elite teams, and their exciting brand of soccer could help attract a new generation of fans to the sport in Colorado.