Lionel Messi showcased his signature style with a remarkable solo goal and provided an assist for new recruit Germán Berterame, as Inter Miami played to a 2-2 draw against Barcelona SC in a preseason friendly in Quito, Ecuador, on Saturday.
The Argentinian forward opened the scoring for the MLS Cup champions in the 31st minute, making a powerful run from deep into the opposition’s penalty area, dodging past two defenders before firing a left-footed shot into the net.
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This marked Messi’s first goal of 2026.
The Ecuadorian team leveled the game with a goal from Joao Rojas, but Messi quickly helped regain Miami’s lead with a setup just before halftime.
The 38-year-old delivered a perfectly weighted cross-field pass to Berterame, who found the net with a deflected shot, marking the Mexican forward’s first goal since joining Miami in a $15 million transfer from Liga MX powerhouse Monterrey last month.
Messi was substituted for Luis Suárez shortly after the hour mark, but Miami seemed poised for victory until a dramatic conclusion unfolded at Estadio Banco Pichincha.
Miami’s substitute David Ayala received a red card for a foul in the 87th minute, and moments later, the home side equalized with a close-range effort from Tomás Martínez.
With this result, Miami has secured just one victory from three matches in South America, having suffered a loss to Peru’s Alianza Lima before earning a win against Colombia’s Atlético Nacional last week.
Javier Mascherano’s squad will wrap up their preseason preparations against Independiente del Valle in Puerto Rico on Friday.
Miami will commence the 2026 MLS season against LAFC on February 21.