Lionel Messi scores but Inter Miami’s winless run reaches five games

Inter Miami’s poor run continued as they were beaten 2-1 by Toronto, leaving them without a victory in their past five matches despite a late goal from Lionel Messi.

Messi pulled one back for Inter Miami in the 82nd minute, with Rodrigo De Paul providing the assist, but the goal was not enough to prevent another defeat in Major League Soccer.

The result leaves Inter Miami second in the standings on 39 points from 21 matches. Their position remains strong, but the gap to leaders Nashville has widened after Nashville continued their winning run to move on to 49 points.

Inter Miami will attempt to end their difficult spell when they face Montreal in the early hours of next Sunday.

The loss to Toronto means Inter Miami have now been beaten in four of their last five games. Their only result without defeat during that sequence was a draw against Philadelphia.

Their last victory came against Mexican side San Luis in the Leagues Cup. Since then, the team have struggled to reproduce the form that had made them one of the leading sides in the competition and Major League Soccer.

The current league format sends the top seven teams from each conference through to the round of 16. Teams finishing eighth and ninth enter a play-off for the remaining qualification places.

Inter Miami’s recent results come after a disappointing Leagues Cup campaign. The club exited the competition at the group stage for the first time, ending their hopes of another deep run in the tournament.

Inter Miami won the Leagues Cup in 2023, with Messi leading the side to the title after joining the club. They finished runners-up in the previous edition.

The defeat by Toronto adds further pressure on Inter Miami as they look to halt a sequence in which victories have proved difficult to find. Messi’s contribution offered a late spark, but Toronto held on to claim all three points and leave Inter Miami facing another match without a win.