Lionel Messi's MLS record of scoring in five consecutive matches came to an end on the night of Wednesday, July 17, 2025. Inter Miami suffered a 3-0 defeat against FC Cincinnati, breaking Messi's impressive goal-scoring streak.
Sports News: Lionel Messi's remarkable goal-scoring run in MLS (Major League Soccer) finally came to a halt against FC Cincinnati. In the match played on Wednesday night (July 17, 2025), Inter Miami suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat, which also broke Messi's streak of scoring in consecutive matches. This match was extremely disappointing for Messi and his fans.
Cincinnati Foils Messi's Attack
In this match, Gerardo Valenzuela and Evander's excellent form wrote the script for Inter Miami's defeat. Valenzuela gave his team an early lead by scoring in the first half, while Evander scored two more goals in the second half, closing all avenues for Miami to make a comeback. With this defeat, Inter Miami's five-match winning streak has come to an end.
After this defeat, Miami has slipped to fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings. Cincinnati is now moving forward bly with a record of 14-3-6.
Messi's Impressive Record Broken
Lionel Messi became the first player in MLS history to score in more than four consecutive matches. He has scored 16 goals in his 17 MLS matches so far and remains at the top in terms of goal scoring. But Messi's magic was not visible in this match against Cincinnati. Miami looked completely under pressure in the first half.
In the first 16 minutes itself, Cincinnati shot at the goalpost four times, while Inter Miami failed to make even a single shot. After Valenzuela's शानदार goal, the team went ahead 1-0. Messi's first shot came just before half-time, which goalkeeper Roman Celentano easily stopped. In the first 5 minutes of the second half, Evander increased Cincinnati's lead to 2-0. This was Evander's 14th goal of the season and the 50th of his overall MLS career.
Even after this, there was no improvement in Miami's defense and Evander scored another goal to make the score 3-0. This goal came on a rebound shot by Luca Orellano, which the goalkeeper first tried to stop but the ball went into the goalpost.
Messi's Tired Body Language, Couldn't Save the Team From Defeat
Messi had a golden opportunity to score in the 78th minute, but Celentano made a brilliant save by diving. 38-year-old Messi has spent more than 90 minutes on the field in eight consecutive matches, including four Club World Cup matches. There was a time during this match when Messi covered the least distance on the field compared to any other player. It was clear that Messi looked tired and his body language did not have the sharpness for which he is known.
It is also worth noting that FC Cincinnati played this match without their second-highest goal scorer, Kevin Denkey. Despite this, the team has made its intentions clear by defeating a b opponent like Inter Miami 3-0. Cincinnati will now face Real Salt Lake in their next match on Saturday, while Inter Miami's next match will be against the New York Red Bulls.
