Inter Miami’s Crisis Brings Unwanted History to Lionel Messi’s Door

Just last December, Lionel Messi was in tears as he lifted Inter Miami’s first-ever MLS Cup. The Herons finally reached the top of Major League Soccer, much in part thanks to a simply brilliant campaign from their Argentine captain.

Fast forward eight months and Inter Miami are spiraling. The club already parted ways with Javier Mascherano on the touchline, got knocked out of the Concacaf Champions Cup in the round of 16 and could not even make it out of the group stage in this summer’s Leagues Cup.

To make matters worse, the Herons are all but out of the 2026 Supporters’ Shield race amid a disastrous run of form. The only bright spot as of late has been Messi, who returned to action just days after the passing of his father to try and carry Guillermo Hoyos’s men back to winning ways.

Except the reigning kings of MLS are winless in their last five matches across all competitions. The team’s Leagues Cup defeat to Monterrey came without Messi in Hoyos’s ranks, but the following four all unfolded with the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner on the pitch.

Inter Miami’s Last Five Matches

Luis Suárez — Inter Miami have not won a game since Aug. 5. | Megan Briggs/Getty Images

Result	Date	Competition
Inter Miami 1–2 Monterrey	Aug. 8	Leagues Cup
Inter Miami 2–3 Club León	Aug. 12	Leagues Cup
Nashville SC 4–1 Inter Miami	Aug. 15	MLS
Philadelphia Union 2–2 Inter Miami	Aug. 19	MLS
Inter Miami 1–1 Toronto	Aug. 22	MLS

Amid that poor run of form, Messi has tallied two goals and an assist. He only failed to register a goal contribution when he came off the bench against León.

Despite his efforts, Messi is now approaching a fate he had previously avoided throughout his entire career, spanning the last 22 years.

Messi Headed Straight for Unwanted Career First

Lionel Messi’s heroics haven’t been enough to save Inter Miami. | Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

The longest winless streak Messi ever endured in his professional club career came back in 2013, when Barcelona went five consecutive games without a victory. The Catalans drew games against Celta Vigo, Paris Saint-Germain (twice) and Athletic Club, and were dismantled 4–0 by Bayern Munich.

That was the first and only time Messi went five games without a win—until potentially this weekend. Inter Miami host CF Montréal on Saturday, and a failure to collect three points would bring some unwanted history to the forward’s door.

Messi would match his worst ever string of results if the Herons draw or succumb to defeat in south Florida. Should Inter Miami fail to win against Atlanta United a week later, the 2022 World Cup winner will be in completely unchartered territory, staring down a six-game winless streak.

The good news for Hoyos’s men is Montréal arrives at Nu Stadium with just one win in their last seven matches. The Herons have also won their last three matches against the Canadian outfit, dating back to May 2024.

The opportunity to stop the skid is there, but Inter Miami have a few glaring issues to overcome if they want to avoid complete embarrassment—the biggest being their inability to keep a clean sheet. The last time they blanked an opponent came eight matches ago, ironically against Montréal on July 25.

Some History Working in Inter Miami’s Favor

A four-game winless streak is not terribly unfamiliar to Inter Miami. Under Mascherano, the team failed to win four straight MLS matches last May, suffering defeats to Minnesota United and Orlando City, while settling for draws with the San Jose Earthquakes and Philadelphia Union.

What happened after the poor stretch? The Herons won their next five MLS matches. Eventually, they hoisted the 2025 MLS Cup.

The difference this time is Inter Miami no longer have Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba to lean on. The two Barcelona icons, who retired at the end of last season, knew exactly what it took to grind out results even when the team wasn’t at its best—it’s why Busquets continuously found himself playing at center back.

The two Spaniards were the backbone of the defense, and without them, Miami are floundering inside their own half. Not even the arrival of Casemiro, who has struggled to adapt to his new surroundings following a lackluster World Cup with Brazil, has helped the team come out of its rut.

The pressure will once again fall to Messi to will Inter Miami out of the trenches and back into the win column. The 39-year-old will like his chances of carving apart Montréal’s leaky defense; they have conceded eight goals in their last six matches, failing to keep a single clean sheet.

Messi, though, will hope the visitors are the only backline under pressure on Saturday, or else he is in for some unwanted history.

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