Messi on target as Inter Miami lose 2-1 to Toronto

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Inter Miami’s Argentine forward #10 Lionel Messi leaves the pitch after the Major League Soccer (MLS) regular season football match between Inter Miami CF and Toronto FC at Nu Stadium in Miami, Florida, on August 22, 2026. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP)

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

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

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

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But Miami’s final siege yielded no reward.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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