Following their participation in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, Inter Miami returned to Major League Soccer action this Saturday with a road match against CF Montreal. Lionel Messi made a critical error early in the match, allowing the Canadian side to take the lead.
Just two minutes into the first half, with both teams still settling into the match, Messi received the ball in his own half. Pressured by an opposing player and looking to avoid losing possession in a dangerous area, he opted to play a pass backward.
Ironically, that decision led to an even worse outcome. In trying to connect with one of Inter Miami’s center backs—Tomas Aviles or Maximiliano Falcon—Leo inadvertently set up Prince-Osei Owusu. The German striker found himself in a perfect position and didn’t waste the opportunity, scoring the opener with a precise left-footed finish.
That put Inter Miami in a tough spot—down on the scoreboard before they had even settled into the match, with the full weight of responsibility falling squarely on the team’s leader.
Inter Miami respond quickly
After the early blow from Montreal’s goal following Lionel Messi’s mistake, it took Inter Miami a few minutes to regroup and refocus on the game plan laid out by head coach Javier Mascherano.
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However, as the match progressed, the Herons gradually found their rhythm and began to take control. That shift led to two clear scoring chances. First came a shot from Jordi Alba that, after a slight deflection by goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois, struck the post. A few minutes later, Benjamin Cremaschi also came close with a shot saved by Fernando Alvarez.
Given the momentum, the equalizer felt inevitable—and it arrived in the 33rd minute. Messi provided the assist to Tadeo Allende, who beat a defender and fired a left-footed strike from the edge of the box, leaving Sirois with no chance.
Messi redeems himself
After committing the mistake that gave Montreal the lead, Messi took it upon himself to make things right. First, he helped set up the equalizer with a pass to Tadeo Allende, and then he scored a fantastic goal to put Inter Miami ahead.
In the 40th minute, Sergio Busquets sent a long ball to Luis Suarez, who headed it down to Messi. The Argentine forward controlled it, drove into the box, and used a series of hip feints to shake off the defenders before finding just enough space to fire and score the goal that made it 2-1 for the Herons heading into halftime.
