How Lionel Messi Made Opponent Cry in Inter Miami Preseason Game

The Herons kicked off 2026 with a lopsided defeat in Peru.

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami fell short of expectations in Peru. | Martín Fonseca/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

Argentina legend Lionel Messi brought fellow countryman Alan Cantero to tears after giving the Alianza Lima midfielder his jersey following Inter Miami’s defeat on Saturday night.

The Herons kicked off their South American preseason tour in front of 30,000 fans in Peru. The friendly marked the first time Inter Miami got back to action since winning the 2025 MLS Cup and the departures of Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.

Yet it was the hosts that impressed at the Estadio Alejandro Villanueva, handing Messi and co. a 3–0 defeat in their 2026 debut. The reigning MLS MVP created three chances on the night—the most by any player—but could not lead his side to a positive result.

Despite the poor performance, Messi still swapped jerseys with Cantero, who got emotional upon receiving the shirt of the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner. “He’s my idol. I have him tattooed on me and I never imagined I’d share a moment with him. It’s a dream. I told him I loved him and he was my inspiration,” the 27-year-old said after the game.

Alan Cantero has a tattoo on his leg of Lionel Messi winning the World Cup for Argentina.

After playing Inter Miami with his club Alianza Lima, he linked up with Messi and even got his match shirt 🐐

Look at how much it meant for him to meet his footballing idol 🥹💙 pic.twitter.com/hihtRBDrwj

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) January 25, 2026

Cantero indeed has a tattoo of Messi winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup on his leg. Now, four years after that monumental moment in Qatar, the Alianza Lima player got to share the pitch with his idol.

Capping off the night by exchanging words with Messi and leaving with his shirt turned a preseason friendly into a lifelong dream for Cantero. For Messi, though, the night ended with the bitter taste of defeat.

---

Alarms Bells Sounded After Inter Miami’s Preseason Failure

Lionel Messi was largely held quiet in Inter Miami’s first preseason friendly. | Martín Fonseca/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

Mascherano deployed a strong XI for the preseason clash in Peru, starting Messi and Luis Suárez up top, Rodrigo De Paul in the midfield and new signing Dayne St. Clair between the posts. Veteran Maximiliano Falcón also led the way in central defense.

Yet the team conceded three goals, scored zero and managed just two shots on target. Alianza Lima, meanwhile, only had 37% possession and walked away with a 3–0 victory.

The Herons were always going to come out a little rusty, given their time away from the pitch and their travel down to South America. But it is still concerning that a team that just hoisted its first-ever MLS Cup in December could not get on the scoresheet against such inferior competition.

Mascherano’s side was calling out for Alba’s playmaking down the left flank and Busquets’s security in front of the team’s backline. Without the two icons, though, Inter Miami looked nothing more than a mid-table MLS club.

---

Suárez Fails in Big Opportunity to Impress

Luis Suárez failed to get much going in his 2026 debut. | Martín Fonseca/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

Suárez, in particular, will be unhappy with how the game transpired. The striker created just one chance and managed only one shot on target in 62 minutes on the pitch. He also only took 20 touches.

A preseason friendly was the perfect time to get back to scoring ways for Suárez, but instead, he could only put together another lackluster outing, a familiar story that saw him lose his starting spot amid Inter Miami’s 2025 MLS Cup playoff run.

The Uruguayan only played 22 minutes in the Herons’ last three games of the postseason, and was an unused substitute in the MLS Cup final. Suárez saw 20-year-old Mateo Silvetti take his place and is now looking at another season—potentially his last one in a pink shirt—playing second fiddle to the Argentine if he cannot improve and impress in the preseason.

---