Lionel Messi and Inter Miami on the Brink of Unwanted Record

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are enduring a brutal run of form that could soon lead the Argentine into unprecedented territory.

A crisis that is starting to leave its mark

Lionel Messi is one game away from matching the longest winless streak of his entire club career. If Inter Miami fail to beat CF Montréal on Saturday, the Argentine will reach five consecutive appearances without a victory, something he has experienced only once in more than two decades as a professional.

The situation could hardly be more different from eight months ago. In December, Messi lifted the first MLS Cup in Inter Miami history. Now, the defending champions find themselves in serious trouble after changing coaches, crashing out of the Concacaf Champions Cup and failing to advance from the group stage of the Leagues Cup.

Even Messi's return has not been enough to stop the slide. The Argentine came back just days after the passing of his father and has featured in four of Miami's last five matches. He has contributed two goals and one assist, but the wins have disappeared.

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Five games that set off the alarms

Guillermo Hoyos' side have now gone five consecutive matches without a victory across all competitions, although the first defeat against Monterrey came without Messi on the pitch.

Inter Miami's last five results:

Inter Miami 1-2 Monterrey — August 8 — Leagues Cup
Inter Miami 2-3 Club León — August 12 — Leagues Cup
Nashville SC 4-1 Inter Miami — August 15 — MLS
Philadelphia Union 2-2 Inter Miami — August 19 — MLS
Inter Miami 1-1 Toronto FC — August 22 — MLS

Results are only part of the problem. Inter Miami have gone eight consecutive matches without a clean sheet, with their defensive struggles repeatedly wiping out what Messi and the attack have produced at the other end.

A painful memory from his Barcelona days

To find anything similar in Messi's career, you have to go all the way back to 2013. That year, Barcelona went five consecutive matches without a victory with the Argentine involved.

The run featured draws against Celta Vigo, Paris Saint-Germain twice and Athletic Club, along with the infamous 4-0 defeat to Bayern Munich.

It remains the only time Messi has gone five consecutive club appearances without a victory. That is what makes Saturday's game much more than another regular-season fixture.

Should Miami draw or lose against Montréal, Messi will match that unwanted mark. Another failure to win against Atlanta United the following week would then take him into completely uncharted territory: six straight club appearances without a victory for the first time in his career.

Montréal arrives at just the right time

There is at least some reason for optimism. CF Montréal arrive with only one victory from their last seven matches, hardly the form of a team expected to take advantage of Miami's problems.

Recent history also favors the Herons. Inter Miami have won their last three meetings with the Canadian side, a streak dating back to May 2024.

Montréal have also conceded eight goals in their last six matches without keeping a single clean sheet. On paper, it looks like the kind of opponent Messi could punish.

The bigger question is what happens at the other end. Ironically, Miami's last clean sheet came against Montréal on July 25. They have conceded in every game since.

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Once again, the pressure falls on Messi

Winless stretches are not completely unfamiliar to Inter Miami. Under Javier Mascherano, the club endured four consecutive MLS matches without a victory last season.

This time, however, the slump has been accompanied by tournament eliminations, a coaching change and persistent defensive problems. Not even the arrival of Casemiro has been enough to bring the stability Miami desperately need.

And once again, much of the responsibility falls on Messi. At 39, the Argentine will try to drag the Herons back into the win column and prevent one of Inter Miami's worst stretches from producing an unwanted first in his extraordinary career.

3 Key Takeaways From Inter Miami's Crisis

Messi is closing in on an unwanted record: if Inter Miami fail to beat Montréal, he will match the five-game winless streak he endured with Barcelona in 2013.
Miami's defense remains the biggest concern: the Herons have gone eight consecutive matches without keeping a clean sheet despite Messi continuing to contribute in attack.
Montréal offers a chance to escape: the Canadian side have won only once in their last seven matches, while Miami have beaten them in their previous three meetings.