Lionel Messi scored his 899th career goal to lift Inter Miami to a 2-1 victory over D.C. United at Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday, drawing a record crowd of 72,026 fans. The game, moved from D.C. United's smaller venue due to overwhelming interest in the Argentine superstar, saw Messi give Miami an early 2-0 lead with a second-half strike. Rodrigo De Paul added the opening goal in the 17th minute, while D.C. United's Tai Baribo pulled one back late with a 75th-minute penalty. The result marks Miami's second win in two games after a league-opening loss to LAFC.

Inter Miami (2-1-0) now sits in second place in the Eastern Conference, while D.C. United (1-2-0) remains winless in its last three matches. Messi's milestone goal comes just days after he and his team visited the White House, and the 38-year-old will next aim to become only the second man to reach 900 career goals when Miami faces Nashville in the Concacaf Champions Cup on Wednesday. The win provides crucial momentum heading into the MLS regular season finale.

The historic attendance underscores the massive draw Messi commands, transforming a regular-season match into a major event. D.C. United's inability to close the gap despite Baribo's late goal highlights the challenge of competing against a star of Messi's caliber in front of a packed house.