Messi scores but Inter Miami slump continues with loss to Toronto

Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi (10) and midfielder Rodrigo De Paul (7) talk as they warm up before an MLS soccer game against Toronto FC on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/David Santiago)

MIAMI–A goal from Lionel Messi wasn’t enough as Inter Miami fell 2-1 at home to Toronto in the MLS on Saturday for their fifth straight match without a win.

Miami trailed 2-0 after goals from Toronto’s Josh Sargent and Derrick Etienne Jr. in the 59th and 62nd minutes.

READ: Messi goal, assist lead Inter Miami to first win at new stadium

Argentine superstar Messi pulled a goal back for Miami in the 82nd, capitalizing on a sensational through ball from compatriot Rodrigo De Paul.

But Miami’s final siege yielded no reward.

With 14 goals, Messi is second on the Major League Soccer scoring chart behind Dallas’s Petar Musa — who went into Saturday with 16.

But Miami have four losses and a draw in their last five matches. That includes MLS play and the Leagues Cup, in which they were eliminated in the group stage.

They remained in second place in the MLS Eastern Conference, seven games behind leaders Nashville who have a game in hand.

But Robert Lewandowski’s Chicago Fire moved within three points of Miami in the standings after a 1-1 draw at New York Red Bulls on Saturday.

Orlando City moved into the MLS Cup playoff positions in the East with a 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake.

Orlando’s French star Antoine Griezmann, recently arrived from Atletico Madrid, scored twice in the second half, his first MLS brace pulling Orlando back after Real Salt Lake took the lead through Dominik Marczuk in the 36th minute.