Inter Miami called out by Argentine journalist over Lionel Messi

Inter Miami are winless in their last two matches with three games remaining in the 2025 MLS season after suffering a 5-3 defeat to the Chicago Fire on Tuesday night at Chase Field.

Luis Suárez scored twice and Tomás Avilés added another to account for all of Inter Miami’s goals in the loss. Chicago got on the board early, with Dje D’Avilla opening the scoring in the 11th minute, followed by Jonathan Dean doubling the lead in the 31st.

Inter Miami responded in the 39th minute when Avilés converted a close-range finish off a corner, marking his second goal of the regular season. Chicago quickly answered, though, as Rominigue Kouamé struck in the 43rd minute to make it 3-1 heading into halftime.

The Herons came close early in the second half, with Lionel Messi and Tadeo Allende both hitting the woodwork in the 52nd minute. Suárez pulled one back in the 57th to bring Inter Miami within a goal.

Suárez completed his brace in the 74th minute, curling a shot to the far post to finish a slick team move and level the score at 3-3. But Chicago responded with two rapid goals—Justin Reynolds in the 80th and Brian Gutiérrez in the 83rd—securing a 5-3 victory.

Does Lionel Messi not have support at Inter Miami?

It was a quiet game from Messi as the Argentine didn’t have an assist or goal in the contest. Moreover, with Inter Miami potentially heading into the playoffs in poor form, history could repeat itself where the Herons fall short of winning a trophy.

As a result, Argentine journalist Juan Ballesteros called out the Inter Miami project for not giving Messi the support needed to ensure the team can win an MLS title.

More Inter Miami News: Inter Miami veteran doesn’t hold back on Lionel Messi

“It’s sad to see Messi constantly struggling in the league,” Ballesteros said on the “¿Qué Pasa Inter Miami?” podcast. “I say this because, as the coach mentioned, the team just fell short this season. It was tough to watch him lose heavily to Vancouver in the [Champions Cup] semifinal, and then lose the final 3-0 to Seattle [in Leagues Cup].

“The elimination against Atlanta last year also left a mark. Hopefully, things will change, but the situation doesn’t look promising. This project clearly needs to be rebuilt, and I believe the team needs a fresh touch from Javier Mascherano.”