In a pre-season friendly on Monday, Lionel Messi and Inter Miami suffered a 1-0 defeat against FC Dallas, continuing their struggles after a lackluster 0-0 draw with El Salvador on Friday. The match took place at the Cotton Bowl Stadium under wet and cold conditions. Argentine superstar Messi, along with former Barcelona teammates Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets, was substituted after 64 minutes when Miami was trailing 1-0. Messi had a notable performance, creating several opportunities, including a powerful 30-yard volley parried by Dallas goalkeeper Maarten Paes.
Dallas took the lead early with Jesus Ferreira scoring after three minutes, holding off Miami’s Noah Allen and slotting a low angled shot past goalkeeper Drake Callender. The game marked the second in Miami’s pre-season schedule before the new MLS season starts on February 21 against Real Salt Lake. Following this match, Miami is set to play in Saudi Arabia against Al-Hilal on January 29 and Al-Nassr on February 1, where Messi may face his old rival Cristiano Ronaldo. The team will then travel to Asia for friendlies against a Hong Kong select team on February 4 and Japanese side Vissel Kobe in Tokyo on February 7. The pre-season concludes with a game against Argentine squad Newell’s Old Boys upon their return to the United States.
