Messi Makes MLS History as San Jose, Houston and Chicago Clinch Playoff Spots: MLS Matchday 31 Roundup

At 39 years old, Lionel Messi is supposed to be winding down. Somebody forgot to tell him. Matchday 31 was also the weekend the playoff picture snapped into focus: San Jose, Houston and Chicago all clinched Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs places, as the sections below detail. On Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Messi scored twice in four minutes, added an assist, and led Inter Miami to a 3-1 win at Atlanta United that, according to MLSSoccer.com, made him the first player in MLS history to record at least 15 assists in three consecutive seasons. His season line now reads 25 goals and 15 assists, and Miami — the defending champions — have won three straight by a combined 9-1, per MLSSoccer.com.

The opener arrived right on half-time. MLSSoccer.com reported that Messi notched the secondary assist on Germán Berterame’s 45th-minute header, and Sportradar’s timeline credited the assist on the goal to Luis Suárez. After the break, Messi took the game away. He scored in the 56th minute, evading defenders inside the box before finishing with his left foot, and again in the 60th on a counterattack, both as MLSSoccer.com described. Fafà Picault’s 89th-minute penalty, per Sportradar, was only a consolation for Atlanta. “I can’t believe this guy does what he does at 39 years of age,” Miami head coach Cristian ‘Kily’ González said, in quotes published by MLSSoccer.com. “And what makes me happiest is that he’s happy.” Miami, who clinched their playoff spot in midweek, hold second place in the Eastern Conference on 55 points, according to MLSSoccer.com, and are chasing the first back-to-back MLS Cup titles since the LA Galaxy in 2011-12.

Watch the official MLS highlights from Atlanta below:

Three more teams punch their playoff tickets

Matchday 31 was really about the little letters next to names in the standings. San Jose, Houston and Chicago all clinched Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs berths, according to MLS reporting summarised by SportsNewsReport and Soccer America. San Jose did it the hard way, drawing 1-1 with Nashville SC at PayPal Park — Preston Judd’s 16th goal of the season, per Soccer America, earned the point that sent the Earthquakes to the playoffs for the first time since 2023 and, for now, delayed Nashville’s Supporters’ Shield celebration. Houston’s clinch came in a Texas Derby that finished 2-2 with FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo FC announced in its own match report, with a late Dallas penalty levelling a game Houston had in its grasp.

Chicago’s night was the strangest of the three. The Fire lost 1-0 at New England — Matt Polster scored the only goal in the 26th minute, assisted by Carles Gil and Peyton Miller, and Matt Turner made six saves, per the club reporting summarised by MarketingMedia — yet still clinched, because Orlando City beat D.C. United 4-1 in Florida. Antoine Griezmann scored twice for Orlando, with Martín Ojeda and Marco Pašalić also on target. Chicago finished with a 19-5 edge in shots and 10 corners to New England’s zero, and sit at 14-10-6 with 48 points. The reward is real even if the night stung: consecutive playoff berths for the first time since 2008 and 2009, per the same reporting. Gregg Berhalter’s team are in — now they have to start converting all that pressure into goals.

Hell is Real, and Columbus are coming

Sunday night’s closer was the weekend’s loudest result. Columbus Crew won 2-0 at FC Cincinnati in the Hell is Real derby, and the Associated Press report published by TSN filled in the detail: Gonzalo Tapia headed in Brais Méndez’s corner at the back post in the 22nd minute, Taha Habroune scored for the third straight game with a first-touch finish from Tapia’s feed in the 54th, and Patrick Schulte made eight saves for his sixth shutout of the season. Columbus have won four of their last five, per MLSSoccer.com, are unbeaten in five straight against Cincinnati, and — this is the part that matters — now sit on 35 points, one behind ninth-place Cincinnati for the East’s final wild-card spot, according to the AP. “This can be used as momentum, but I think it can also show that we can win in any way,” Schulte said, in quotes published by MLSSoccer.com. Columbus now turn around and host St. Louis CITY SC in Wednesday’s US Open Cup final, per MLSSoccer.com, with a fifth trophy in six years on the line.

Watch the official MLS highlights from the Hell is Real derby below:

Around the rest of Matchday 31

Elsewhere on Sportradar’s results list, Vancouver won 2-1 at Austin, Real Salt Lake beat Sporting Kansas City 3-1 — a result that, per MLS’s clinching summary, leaves Kansas City as the only team officially eliminated from playoff contention — and Toronto FC won 2-0 at the New York Red Bulls. New York City FC and LAFC drew 1-1 at Citi Field, the LA Galaxy and San Diego FC drew 2-2 in Carson, Portland and Colorado finished goalless, and Seattle and CF Montréal drew 1-1. With four games remaining for most clubs, per MLSSoccer.com’s Columbus report, half the 18 playoff places are still open — which means the next month is going to be gloriously uncomfortable for about a dozen fan bases. Follow every twist on our Sports front, and catch up on the weekend in Europe with our Premier League Matchweek 7 roundup.