Inter Miami played their final friendly against Independiente del Valle in Puerto Rico and came away with a 2-1 victory. Santiago Morales opened the scoring for the Herons, Patrick Mercado equalized, and in the second half, Lionel Messi converted a penalty to give Miami the lead.
During the first half, Inter Miami were the more active side, despite fielding a largely rotated lineup. Luis Suarez was one of the standout performers, providing multiple key passes to teammates and even coming close to scoring from a free kick.
It was Suarez who set up Santiago Morales for the opener, with the young midfielder dribbling past the goalkeeper and a defender before finishing with composure. However, that lead was short-lived, as Independiente del Valle quickly responded with an equalizer from Patrick Mercado.
After the break, the fans got what they came to see: Lionel Messi entered for the second half and showcased his brilliance. He scored the Herons’ second goal from the penalty spot after a handball in the box. That goal was enough to seal the win in Inter Miami’s final friendly.