Inter Miami 2–1 Atlanta United: Player Ratings as Messi, Picault Put Miami Atop Eastern Conference

Fafá Picault scored a late winning goal as Inter Miami defeated their Southern U.S. foes.

Lionel Messi scored his first goal of the 2025 MLS season against Atlanta United on Sunday night. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Inter Miami climbed to the top of the Eastern Conference on Sunday night with a late 2–1 win over Atlanta United, the club that eliminated them from the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs. 

Atlanta’s Emmanuel Latte Lath scored the match's opening goal in the 11th minute, heading his third goal in four games past Inter Miami’s Rocco Rios Novo, but it didn’t take long for the Herons to fight back. 

After missing the team’s last two MLS matches, Lionel Messi bagged his first goal of the 2025 MLS season, making a deft steal as Atlanta tried to play out of the back before dribbling past defender Derrick Williams and chipping a shot over goalkeeper Brad Guzan, who had an otherwise outstanding six-save performance.

Atlanta looked to be holding strong until Fafá Picault scored a gentle header in the 89th minute, netting his first MLS goal with the club and sealing all three points in a brief appearance after entering in the 89th minute. 

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The win brings Inter Miami to the top of the MLS Eastern Conference on 10 points through four games, with wins over Atlanta United, Houston Dynamo and Wilfried Zaha's Charlotte FC. They sit second in the MLS Supporters’ Shield Standings, trailing Picault’s previous club, Vancouver Whitecaps FC. 

FAFA WITH A HEADER TO GIVE US THE LEAD 💥 pic.twitter.com/SOlavsIlzL

— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) March 17, 2025

Miami does not play on Matchday 5, while Atlanta will take on FC Cincinnati on March 22 without key international players set to represent their nations. 

Here are the player ratings for both sides from Sunday night’s clash. 

Inter Miami CF Player Ratings VS. Atlanta United (4-4-2)

Player Ratings Courtesy of FotMob

Players	Ratings
GK: Rocco Rios Novo	7.0/10
RB: Gonzalo Lujan	7.5/10
CB: Maxi Falcon	6.5/10
CB: Noah Allen	7.4/10
LB: Jordi Alba	8.1/10
RM: Tadeo Allende	7.4/10
CM: Yannick Bright	7.4/10
CM: Sergio Busquets	7.1/10
LM: Telasco Segovia	7.3/10
ST: Lionel Messi	8.7/10
ST: Luis Suárez	7.0/10
SUB: Benjamin Cremaschi (61' for Segovia)	5.8/10
SUB: Federico Redondo (83' for Bright)	N/A
SUB: Fafá Picault (82' for Allende)	N/A
SUB: Tomas Aviles (90' for Suárez)	N/A

Atlanta United Player Ratings vs. Inter Miami CF (4-2-3-1)

Players	Ratings
GK: Brad Guzan	6.1/10
RB: Brooks Lennon	7.5/10
CB: Stian Gregersen	5.9/10
CB: Derick Williams	6.0/10
LB: Pedro Amador	6.6/10
CDM: Bartosz Slisz	6.8/10
CDM: Tristan Muyumba	6.4/10
RM: Miguel Almiron	6.4/10
CM: Alexey Miranchuk	6.8/10
LM: Saba Lobjanidze	6.1/10
ST: Emmanuel Latte Lath	7.7/10
SUB: Xande Silva (72' for Lobjanidze)	6.0/10
SUB: Matthew Edwards (83' for Lennon)	N/A
SUB: Ajani Fortune (84' for Slisz)	N/A
SUB: Luis Abram (84' for Amador)	N/A
SUB: Edwin Mosquera (90' for Gregersen)	N/A

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