New Delhi: Lionel Messi’s scoring streak came to a halt as Toronto FC held Inter Miami to a 1-1 draw in their Major League Soccer clash on Saturday. The
Argentine star who had netted five goals in his previous three outings created several chances but couldn’t find a way past Toronto goalkeeper Sean Johnson, who produced a brilliant display to deny him.
Miami have already sealed their postseason berth. They took the lead right before halftime through Tadeo Allende. The winger rose high to meet Jordi Alba’s cross and headed home to give Javier Mascherano’s side a 1-0 advantage going into the break.
However, Miami’s defensive lapses came back to haunt them once again. A sloppy spell at the back allowed Djordje Mihailovic to level things in the 60th minute with a close-range finish. The equaliser shifted the momentum and though Miami pushed hard for a winner, they found Johnson in inspired form, pulling off two outstanding saves to frustrate Messi late in the game.
Final del partido en Toronto. 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/zPLPuxUe6x
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) September 27, 2025
Mascherano praises Toronto’s resilience
Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano admitted his side should have taken all three points but credited Toronto’s keeper for keeping them out. “I think we deserved to win. We had the most real chances, but their goalkeeper was the man of the match,” Mascherano said after the draw.
The former Argentina midfielder added that while the result was disappointing, the focus now shifts to finishing strong. “It’s hard because we came here to win. We wanted to climb the table but we have four more games to go and we’ll try to win them all,” he said.
Looking ahead
Despite dropping points, Miami remained third in the Eastern Conference with 56 points just four behind leaders Philadelphia but with a game in hand. Messi, who still leads the MLS scoring charts with 24 goals in 23 matches will look to bounce back as Miami chase a top-two finish heading into the playoffs.
