Messi's Free Kick From a Tight Angle Stuns Columbus

Lionel Messi found the net for Inter Miami with a direct free kick struck from an extremely tight angle during a Sunday, September 27, 2026 clash against Columbus Crew at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field in Columbus, Ohio, pulling his team level at 1-1 in the match's 33rd minute.⁷³⁶

What happened

Columbus Crew grabbed the opening goal in the first half courtesy of a converted penalty from Josef Martínez. About five minutes later, Messi stepped up to a free kick from a tight angle near the touchline and curled the ball with his left foot over a wall of defenders and into the net, catching the Columbus goalkeeper off guard.¹²⁷

The goal tied the match at 1-1, but Columbus Crew went on to win 2-1 after substitute Jamal Thiaré scored a rebound goal in second-half stoppage time, following a save spilled by Inter Miami goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo. Inter Miami also had defender Santiago Morales sent off late in the match.¹⁶

The match, part of MLS 'Sunday Night Soccer,' was broadcast live on Apple TV, with commentator Taylor Twellman reacting to the goal on air.⁶⁷

Why it spread

Multiple outlets described the free kick as an 'unreal goal from a near-impossible angle,' noting that Messi struck directly at goal rather than crossing into the box, which is what many watching expected from that position.³⁵

The goal circulated widely on video, including on the MLS/Apple TV broadcast channel, feeding into ongoing coverage of Messi's free-kick tally: outlets reported he now needs two more free-kick goals to match the all-time record.⁶²

The moment also connected to broader storylines around Messi's season form and his farewell to international football, adding extra resonance to a goal that came in a match Inter Miami ultimately lost.¹

What is true

It is confirmed by multiple sources that Messi scored a direct free-kick goal from a wide angle, that it was his 21st goal of the 2026 MLS season, and that he now sits two free-kick goals away from the all-time record. Match statistics — 55 percent Inter Miami possession, 533 passes, and Messi completing 27 of 29 passes with three shots — are also confirmed by more than one outlet.⁷³³⁵

Some details rest on a single source. Only one source specifies that Thiaré's winner came in the eighth minute of stoppage time, and only one other source gives the 33rd-minute timing and stadium name explicitly, though other outlets corroborate the general sequence.¹⁷

Two points in the dossier are flagged as disputed rather than fully settled: the exact final scoreline of 2-1 is reported by ESPN, Inter Miami's own recap and Yahoo Sports, yet the dossier marks this as disputed, and whether the free kick was precisely Messi's 12th for Inter Miami in all competitions is likewise contested between sources reporting the tally and the same reporting that flags uncertainty around it. Readers should treat these two specifics as not fully confirmed.¹⁴⁶

Editors' commentary

The editors' view, not news reporting.

What stands out here is not just the technique but the timing — a goal struck from an angle few would attempt, arriving in a match Inter Miami still lost. It is a reminder that individual brilliance and team results don't always align, and that even a near-record-breaking strike can end up as a footnote in a scoreline. The chase toward the all-time free-kick record adds a layer of anticipation to Messi's remaining matches this season. As always with fast-moving sports news, a few specific numbers are still settling into place across outlets.