Lionel Messi is human after all. During his illustrious career, there have been instances of football fans genuinely questioning Messi’s human attributes.
It was the same during his recent record-breaking streak of scoring multiple goals in five consecutive Major League Soccer matches. But like all of his past other-worldly achievements, this too came to an end Wednesday night, as Inter Miami was handed a 3-0 defeat by FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium.
The 38-year-old Argentine star, who had netted braces in each of his past five MLS appearances, was kept in check for the full 90 minutes by a disciplined Cincinnati defence. Miami managed just two shots on goal in the match, neither of which seriously tested Cincinnati goalkeeper Roman Celentano.
Messi’s five-game run of scoring multiple goals – the longest such streak in MLS history – powered Miami to four wins and a draw, lifting the club into fifth place in the Eastern Conference. With 16 goals in 17 MLS matches this season, Messi remains tied for the league lead in scoring.
However, on Wednesday, Cincinnati dominated from the outset. U.S. midfielder Gerardo Valenzuela opened the scoring in the 16th minute with a low, angled strike from the left side of the box – his fifth goal of the season. Brazilian forward Evander added two more goals in the 50th and 70th minutes, sealing a statement win for the hosts.
Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano admitted his side was outplayed.
“Clearly today we were outplayed from the beginning of the match,” Mascherano said through a translator. “It was very difficult for us to win the individual duels. Maybe one of the reasons is that physically we come with a very big hustle and bustle and in the long run we end up paying.”
Mascherano also acknowledged that Messi had suffered a knock late in the game but downplayed the severity: “Leo suffered a knock at the end but it ended well.”
The loss ended a five-match winning streak for Miami, which now stands at 11 wins, 4 losses, and 5 draws. The club trails first-place Philadelphia by eight points in the Eastern Conference but has three games in hand.
“We didn’t play the game we wanted,” Mascherano added. “They put us under pressure all the time, we weren’t fresh or lucid and they beat us very well. The opponent outplayed us from start to finish. The result and the way they beat us obviously worries us. Now we have to rest and think about the next game.”
Inter Miami’s next challenge comes Saturday with a road trip to face the New York Red Bulls.
In other news, according to reports Argentine international Rodrigo De Paul will be joining Inter Miami on loan from Atlético Madrid for the remainder of the 2025 season, with a purchase option worth over $12 million. The move reunites De Paul with Messi, his teammate from Argentina’s 2022 World Cup-winning squad, and could factor into Miami’s efforts to convince Messi to extend his contract, which expires at the end of this year.