Messi scored following a great assist from Rodrigo De Paul, who sent a pass between the lines to leave his Argentina teammate completely open between two defenders to fire a far-post shot into the net.

The goal arrived in the 82nd minute, lifting hope for Inter Miami, who remain on a winless streak but continue to see Lionel Messi stay effective and productive.

Inter Miami struggle for fluidity

Messi‘s involvement grew as the match progressed, largely because Inter Miami wasted possession throughout much of the game. Messi remained the squad’s clearest playmaker: before scoring his goal on a well-finished one-on-one following a top assist from Rodrigo De Paul, he orchestrated the home side’s few attacking link-ups and approaches.

Before his goal, Messi had not seen clear scoring opportunities. The team’s only other dangerous chance came when Luis Suarez inexplicably missed inside the box. However, what little creativity Inter Miami generated originated from Messi and De Paul, who provided the most support alongside him.

Toronto FC did not create much either, but moved faster in transition and capitalized on a brief surge during the match. Josh Sargent—the star of the game—struck a clean left-footed shot for the 1-0 lead before Etienne Jr. extended the margin shortly after.

Both goals arrived within three minutes, exposing the host’s lack of defensive solidity. The defensive struggles forced Messi to drop into midfield at times to receive the ball due to the lack of fluidity in building out from the back. Otherwise, he spent most of the match positioned on the right wing, leaving Suarez and Berterame as central reference points.

The Herons’ slump continues

With the result, the Herons extended their winless streak. While Inter Miami’s last victory came just 18 days ago in a 4-2 win against Atletico San Luis—a match where Messi scored two goals and provided an assist before returning home to say goodbye to his father—the club has struggled across critical MLS and Cup fixtures since.

Lionel Messi avoided a match suspension from the MLS and is expected to start against Toronto FC. With his eligibility confirmed, head coach Guillermo Hoyos will have his focal point available as Herons search for their first victory since Messi returned to the squad.

Having recently netted his first goal following the tragic passing of his father, Jorge, the Argentine legend aims to build momentum against a struggling Toronto FC side sitting near the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

While FIFA recently handed down suspensions to several of his Argentina teammates following the chaotic 2026 World Cup final against Spain, Messi avoided direct sanctions, though La Albiceleste will be shorthanded during upcoming international windows.

Predicted lineups: Messi set to start

Barring any late set-backs, Messi will lead the attack alongside co-star Luis Suarez. However, Inter Miami will remain without Tadeo Allende and Yannick Bright, as both players remain sidelined with injuries.

Here is Inter Miami’s projected starting XI:

• Goalkeeper: Dayne St. Clair
• Defenders: Facundo Mura, Ian Fray, Gonzalo Luján, Sergio Reguilon
• Midfielders: Casemiro, Rodrigo De Paul, Telasco Segovia, David Ayala
• Forwards: Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez

As Inter Miami prepares for this crucial fixture, a victory is essential to close the gap on Nashville SC in the Eastern Conference standings, and all eyes will once again be on Messi to deliver a game-changing performance.

According to Jose Armando Rodriguez of Deporte Total, Messi officially received a fine for the midweek incident with Sullivan. The Inter Miami captain was not the only player involved from the squad.

According to a report from the Miami Herald, teammate Ian Fray will also be fined an undisclosed amount for violating the league’s policy regarding hands to the face/head/neck of an opponent during the match. It marks a rare situation to see the Argentine star involved in such an altercation.

What happened between Messi and Sullivan?

Intensity built as the second half progressed, with Philadelphia scoring an equalizer. Inter Miami tried to find space to regain the lead, but the flow of the game led to growing frustration and multiple clashes among players.

That atmosphere set the stage for the incident between Quinn and Messi. Following an exchange between the two, the Argentine reacted by slapping the back of his opponent’s head with his open palm. The players briefly squared off before play resumed.

Another on-field altercation

Meanwhile, Cavan Sullivan was later sent off following a separate altercation, this time involving Yannick Bright during the closing minutes. However, his red card will be overturned.

According to Michelle Kaufman of the Miami Herald, a panel unanimously voted to rescind the red card, one-game suspension, and fine issued to Cavan Sullivan in the 90+12 minute, clearing him to play in the next match for Philadelphia Union.

FIFA confirmed that key contributors Nahuel Molina, Leandro Paredes, and Thiago Almada received suspensions for their roles in the altercations. Here is a full breakdown of the disciplinary actions handed down by the governing body:

• Leandro Paredes—10-match ban and $90,000 fine
• Nahuel Molina—seven-match ban and $90,000 fine
• Thiago Almada—one-match ban and $30,000 fine

In the wake of the wild finish, Spanish midfielder Gavi shared his thoughts regarding his heated altercation with Paredes. The loss of Paredes marks a crushing blow for Argentina, as the veteran midfielder will be forced to sit out the team’s next 10 competitive fixtures.

Additional staff bans and stadium sanctions from FIFA

In addition to the player discipline, two members of Argentina’s coaching staff were penalized for their actions during the physical confrontation. FIFA issued the following discipline:

• Pablo Martin Gavira—one-match ban and $30,000 fine
• Roberto Ayala (team official)—three-match ban and $30,000 fine

Adding to the fallout, Argentina’s Football Association was ordered to reduce fan capacity by 50% for its next two home fixtures when 2030 World Cup qualifying kicks off. With the sweeping hammer, FIFA is sending a clear message that post-match physical altercations will carry harsh consequences on the international stage.

Reactions ranged from harsh to personal, with fans leaving comments on Sullivan’s recent Instagram posts such as “Nobody knew who you were until you tried to clout-chase,” and “Learn to respect your father.” The backlash stemmed directly from his stoppage-time exchange with the Argentine icon, who now faces potential league discipline over the incident.

Other fans came to the Union midfielder’s defense, with one follower asking: “Why didn’t you slap Messi back?” That comment quickly sparked heated debates in the reply section, further escalating the online commotion surrounding Sullivan.

Despite the tense altercation, Messi delivered on the pitch, scoring his first goal since the passing of his father. The finish briefly completed Inter Miami’s first-half comeback before Philadelphia answered back to secure the 2-2 draw.

The heated moment between Messi and Sullivan

Fan-captured footage from Subaru Park captured the moment Messi approached Sullivan late in stoppage time. What began as a verbal exchange quickly escalated when Messi reached out and swiped at the back of Sullivan’s neck.

The swipe triggered a brief standoff between the two players before teammates intervened. The situation then spiraled into a wider melee involving Ian Fray, Yannick Bright, and Quinn’s younger brother Cavan Sullivan.

As the MLS Disciplinary Committee reviews the footage for potential fines or sanctions against Messi, both clubs must quickly turn their focus to Saturday’s slate: Inter Miami return home to host Toronto FC, while the Philadelphia Union hit the road to face Austin FC.

Journalist Jose Armando Rodriguez of Deporte Total reposted video footage showing Messi slapping a Philadelphia Union player during a tense moment in the match. According to Rodriguez, the Herons’ captain could face a one-game suspension from MLS alongside a fine.

Messi’s individual form has been steadily building back to the MVP level he displayed during Inter Miami‘s 2025 MLS Cup-winning campaign. Despite missing a penalty kick against Nashville SC on Matchday 20, Messi responded by scoring the equalizer to spark Miami’s comeback from a 1-0 deficit against Philadelphia.

However, the dropped points allowed Nashville SC to widen its lead atop the Eastern Conference standings. Following the draw, Inter Miami sit at 39 points, trailing first-place Nashville’s 46 points.

Has Messi ever been suspended for a physical altercation?

A potential ban would add another rare disciplinary mark to Messi’s career. During his time at Barcelona, he received his first club red card after striking Athletic Club forward Asier Villalibre late in extra time of the 2021 Supercopa final. Following a VAR review, the referee issued a straight red card for violent conduct, resulting in a two-match suspension.

Another high-profile incident occurred during the 2019 Copa America, when Messi engaged in a heated confrontation with Chile’s Gary Medel. Both players were sent off, earning Messi a one-match suspension and a $1,500 fine from CONMEBOL, which was extended to a three-month suspension from all international matches alongside a $50,000 fine due to Messi’s post-game comments against the governing body.

Could Messi miss Inter Miami’s next match?

While Messi’s strike against Philadelphia wasn’t a full-blown punch, league officials strictly enforce violent conduct policies, and slapping an opponent is a clear violation MLS Disciplinary Committee members will review.

If MLS opts to hand down a suspension, Messi will miss Saturday’s home match against Toronto FC at Nu Stadium. Any potential absence would be a significant blow for Miami as the club looks to climb the conference table in front of its home supporters.

Although Messi hinted at retirement from Inter Miami and Argentina in a heartfelt post dedicated to his late father, it’s hard to imagine soccer and MLS without him when he continues to put on stellar performances night in and night out. Against the Union, it’s been no different.

Inter Miami struggled to start the game, but all it took was for them to find Messi with some space. On one of his first touches, Messi delivered a brilliant lobbed cross for Luis Suarez, who headed the ball into the goal box for Daniel Pinter to push the ball into the back of the net and bring the score level.

Messi was still saving an ace up his sleeve. After receiving the ball inside the box, everyone at Subaru Park knew what was coming, but nobody could stop it. Messi, in typical fashion, cut inside to beat Philadelphia Union goalkeeper Andre Blake with a precise, open-footed shot.

Messi’s celebration

Much speculation surrounded Messi’s first goal after the difficult stretch he had experienced. However, there was no special celebration planned. That is not to say it was not emotional in its own right.

As his teammates hugged him and offered words of encouragement and congratulations, Messi was mostly focused on giving out instructions, likely to avoid getting caught up in the moment and realizing just how special his latest goal had been.

Messi adds one more to his tally in Miami

Albeit facing plenty of adversity on and off the pitch, Messi continues to score and help the Herons time and again. With his goal against Philadelphia, Messi is now up to 13 goals in the 2026 MLS season.

Moreover, he continues to inch closer to the 100-goal mark for Inter Miami, with the Argentine now at 93 goals for the club in South Florida. As for his pursuit of 1,000 career goals, Messi has now reached 918 across Barcelona, PSG, Inter Miami and Argentina.

Lionel Messi is expected to play tonight as Inter Miami takes on the Philadelphia Union in 2026 MLS Matchday 21 action. Despite the heartbreaking passing of his father a couple of weeks ago, the Argentine icon continues to demonstrate his remarkable professionalism, and fans packed into Subaru Park are set to see him take the field.

In fact, Messi was spotted smiling in photos taken prior to the team’s departure for Philadelphia, a encouraging sign of his commitment, even as fans express concern over his well-being following his family loss.

The Argentine star will be looking to bounce back after a frustrating outing against Nashville, where he uncharacteristically missed a penalty kick, his third consecutive failed attempt from the spot, drawing instant comparisons to rival Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent penalty struggles.

Predicted lineups for Inter Miami vs. Philadelphia Union

While fans eagerly anticipate Messi’s presence on the pitch, Inter Miami supporters are also hoping to see Luis Suarez in the starting XI tonight. On the other side, Philadelphia faithful are eager to see star defender Kai Wagner in action; both Wagner and Suarez are projected to start alongside Messi in tonight’s Philadelphia vs. Miami clash.

However, Inter Miami will be shorthanded, as both Rodrigo De Paul and Tadeo Allende have been ruled out. Messi’s national team teammate De Paul will serve a one-match suspension, while Allende remains sidelined with a knee injury.

With anticipation building for Messi’s appearance and Miami’s push to climb the MLS standings, Inter Miami and the Philadelphia Union are set to kick off in a slate that features simultaneous matchups like New York Red Bulls vs. Nashville SC and Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire.

Subaru Park will host this highly anticipated matchup, which will pit the second-place team against the hosts, who currently sit 13th in the Eastern Conference. Guillermo Hoyos’ side has a great opportunity to bounce back.

The Union’s situation is completely different from that of their upcoming opponents. With just 19 points collected over 19 matches, interim head coach Ryan Richter’s side is fighting to climb out of the bottom of the standings.

Inter Miami’s starting XI

Inter Miami must win if they want to stay in contention for first place. Following their heavy away 4-1 defeat to Nashville SC, a team widely regarded as the best in MLS, the gap between the two teams has grown to five points.

This is the lineup Hoyos will be sending onto the pitch: Dayne St. Clair (GK); Ian Fray, Maximiliano Falcon, Gonzalo Lujan, Sergio Reguilon; Yannick Bright, Casemiro, Telasco Segovia; Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Daniel Pinter.

Rodrigo De Paul is suspended due to accumulated yellow cards, which triggered an automatic one-game ban in the 2026 MLS season. Without him available, Hoyos and Inter Miami changed their tactical approach, taking one player out of midfield and having Pinter join Suarez and Messi in attack.

Philadelphia Union’s starting lineup vs Inter Miami

With the aim of securing a home win that would provide some much-needed breathing room at this stage of the season, these are the 11 players the Union will field against the Herons.

Andre Blake (GK) ; Frankie Westfield, Neil Pierre, Nathan Harriel, Kai Wagner; Cavan Sullivan, Jesus Bueno, Danley Jean Jacques, Indiana Vassilev; Milan Iloski, Bruno Damiani.

Two top scorers on the field

Although FC Dallas striker Petar Musa is currently the MLS leading scorer with 14 goals, two players in this matchup are close behind. Lionel Messi has scored 12 goals, while Milan Iloski has found the net 10 times so far.

Messi receives an 89 overall rating and transitions from RW to CAM, a significant shift for fans of the game since his stats complement the position very well—a change that had been long awaited.

This represents a major leap considering that after appearing with an 86 rating in FC 26, the Argentine now climbs to an 89. The three-point jump returns him to a far more prominent spot among world soccer’s premier figures. The new rating comes after a great World Cup with Argentina, where they reached the final, a performance that appears to have carried significant weight when revising his rating.

Messi’s card stats

The change also carries a symbolic component: at 39 years old, Messi demonstrates that he can still regain ground in a ranking increasingly dominated by younger generations.

His FC 27 card maintains his primary strengths, featuring 89 passing, 90 dribbling, and 87 shooting, while his new overall rating leaves him just one point shy of the group reaching a 90 rating.

It stands as one of the major storylines of these new ratings, especially as it reverses the downward trend that had accompanied the Argentine across recent EA SPORTS FC editions.

The top of the rankings

At the top of the men’s rankings, Messi is not alone in the upper tier: Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland share the top spot with a 91 overall rating. Right behind them sits a crowded group of stars at 90 overall: Rodri, Ousmane Dembele, Vitinha, Harry Kane, Michael Olise, Pedri, Lamine Yamal, Thibaut Courtois, and Jude Bellingham. The list further confirms the growth of several players who represent the present and future of soccer.

Following a foul on Luis Suarez, Messi stepped up to take the penalty. After taking a small hop before striking the ball, he shot, and his shot was saved by goalkeeper Brian Schwake. The ball fell to Sergio Reguilon, who scored the equalizer, but the play was overturned due to encroachment by the Spaniard. Still, the miss officially counted in the statistics against the star forward.

This marked the second penalty missed by Messi with Inter Miami (having converted five), bringing his tally to three consecutive failed attempts. His previous two misses came with the Argentina national team during the World Cup, first against Austria in the group stage and then versus Egypt in the round of 16.

What is Cristiano Ronaldo’s worst penalty miss streak?

Cristiano Ronaldo‘s worst streak of missed penalties stands at two consecutive failed attempts back in 2016. On March 20, 2016, playing for Real Madrid, he sent his shot over the crossbar against Sevilla in La Liga (though he later made up for it by scoring in open play).

The second miss came just five days later, on March 25, 2016, in his next match with Portugal. Bulgarian goalkeeper Vladislav Stoyanov saved his penalty in a friendly ahead of the Euros.

Until this current slump, Messi had never missed three consecutive penalties during a match throughout his professional career. The forward had gone through various periods of low efficiency from the spot and had even chained together two missed attempts, but he had never reached three in a row.

Messi’s career penalty record

This negative statistic contrasts with the overall numbers Messi has built over more than two decades. Between in-game penalties and shootouts, he has taken 162 penalties in his professional career, converting 125, seeing 28 saved by goalkeepers, and sending 9 wide or high. His overall effectiveness stands at 77.16 percent.

With Barcelona, he took 107 penalties and converted 82. With PSG, he scored two of three in regulation and converted his only attempt in a shootout. With Argentina, he has 25 goals in 32 attempts during matches and seven conversions in nine shootout attempts. With Inter Miami, he has converted all three shootout attempts and has five goals in seven attempts during regulation time.