Inter Miami continued their winless streak with a 2-1 home defeat against Toronto, despite Lionel Messi’s return to scoring, failing to secure a victory for the fourth consecutive MLS match.
Josh Sargent and Derrick Etienne Jr. scored Toronto’s goals within just three minutes, specifically in the 59th and 62nd minutes, before Messi narrowed the margin in the 82nd minute following a pass from Rodrigo De Paul, though the comeback fell short.
Inter Miami’s decline began on August 1st with a 2-2 draw against Columbus Crew. Since then, they have won only once in their last seven matches across all competitions—against Atlético San Luis in the Leagues Cup.
During this period, the team lost to Monterrey and León, suffered an early exit from the Leagues Cup, endured a heavy 4-1 defeat against Nashville, and drew 2-2 with Philadelphia Union, before the Toronto loss further compounded their difficulties.
Inter Miami remained frozen at 39 points from 21 matches, with 11 wins, 6 draws, and 4 losses, keeping them second in the Eastern Conference, though they have lost significant momentum that previously positioned them among the top title contenders.
The team had entered August in a better state following back-to-back victories over Chicago Fire (3-2) and CF Montréal (1-0) in July, before their results inverted amid a crowded schedule between the league and the Leagues Cup, along with Messi’s absence following his father’s passing, and his subsequent return to playing and scoring without managing to halt the decline.
Inter Miami has endured a turbulent season since the start; they opened their title defense campaign with a 3-0 loss to Los Angeles, gradually regained balance, before an early exit from the CONCACAF Champions Cup brought Javier Mascherano’s managerial tenure to an end in April.
