MLS Goals of the Week: Messi’s Late Magic, Surridge’s Stoppage Time Thriller
The heat of the playoff race was on full display in Matchday 34 of the 2026 MLS season, the last slate of league games before this weekend’s Decision Day matches.
Multiple teams were eliminated from postseason contention, while several punched their tickets. There a few playoff spots still up for grabs (specifically in the Western Conference), meaning the competition and goalscoring heroics will only grow more intense.
Nevertheless, this past weekend did not disappoint. Lionel Messi performed his usual magic, scoring a late game-winner to muscle past the New England Revolution and reclaim Inter Miami’s No. 2 rank in the Eastern Conference.
Meanwhile, Sam Surridge completed Nashville SC’s thrilling comeback against Red Bull New York, scoring a stoppage time goal that condemned New York to playoff elimination.
Here are the top five goals from the weekend.
5. David Da Costa’s Statement Opener
Portland Timbers midfielder David Da Costa stripped the Houston Dynamo of the ball in the final third, igniting a fast break into the box, before receiving the ball back on the far side of the 18-yard box. A few touches set up his clinical finish into the roof of the goal in the 25th minute.
It energized Providence Park, the first of ultimately three goals the hosts scored to overcome the Western Conference powerhouse 3–1 and keep their playoff dreams alive. A loss or draw on Sunday night would have almost certainly spelled elimination for Portland; however, the Timbers now sit eighth in the Western Conference and just one point away from the seventh seed.
4. Ousseni Bouda’s Impossible Angle
The narrowest of angles wasn’t going to deter Ousseni Bouda. The San Jose Earthquakes star forward curved his free kick into side netting, opening the scoring against Real Salt Lake less than two minutes into the match.
San Jose walked away with a 2–1 win. Although the No. 3 ranked Earthquakes had already punched their ticket to the playoffs, they played spoiler to Real Salt Lake, who needed a win on Saturday to punch their own. The No. 11 Claret and Cobalt will have just one more opportunity next weekend to secure a playoff spot.
3. Sam Surridge’s Stoppage Time Thriller
By the 40th minute of Sunday’s affair at Geodis Park, it looked as if Red Bull New York might walk away with victory over the Supporters’ Shield-winning Nashville SC. The scoreboard read 2–0, a promising start for a young team that needed a victory on the night to avoid playoff elimination.
Nevertheless, Nashville responded with three unanswered goals, capped off by Sam Surridge’s stoppage time finish. He flung himself into the air to head in a corner kick in the 91st minute, eliminating the Red Bulls from postseason contention. It extended Nashville’s undefeated streak to nine games and brought the team to 74 total points this season, matching MLS’s single-season points record set by Inter Miami in 2024.
2. Lionel Messi’s Late Magic
If Messi proved anything at the 2026 World Cup this summer, it’s not just that the 39-year-old Argentine does not succumb to Father Time, but also that you can never write off a heroic comeback from him, no matter how late into a match.
By the hour mark, the New England Revolution led 1–0 at Gillette Stadium; however, Messi was just getting started. The Inter Miami star assisted Germán Berterame’s equalizer in the 69th minute, before stunning the crowd—and the Revolution’s defenders—with a goal of his own around 15 minutes later.
Messi did what he does best and danced between three players, including two at one time, before drilling a shot past New England goalkeeper Matt Turner. The comeback win allowed the Herons to reclaim the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference as well as secure a coveted spot in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup. Messi is now up to 26 goals this season, increasing his lead in the MLS Golden Boot race. He also has 16 assists.
1. Sergio Vásquez’s Bicycle Kick
The acrobatics of Sergio Vásquez might have been the most thrilling aspect of the weekend. The Los Angeles FC midfielder scored a bicycle kick in the 90th minute of Sunday’s match against Minnesota United.
Although it was not enough to overcome a 3–0 deficit at BMO Field, it was nonetheless an awe-striking sequence in an ultimately meaningless affair for the host team. LAFC have already secured a spot in the playoffs, currently sitting sixth in the Western Conference and guaranteed to end with a top-seven seed.
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