On Wednesday, Lionel Messi's remarkable streak of scoring multiple goals in Major League Soccer came to an end at five games, as Inter Miami faced a 3-0 defeat against FC Cincinnati.

The 38-year-old Argentine forward had previously netted two goals in each of his last five matches, bringing his season total to 16 goals, during which Miami secured four victories and one draw.

The last time Messi achieved this feat of scoring two or more goals in five matches in a row was in 2012 while playing for Barcelona.

However, Cincinnati limited Miami to just two shots on goal throughout the match.

"Our team was clearly outperformed right from the start," said Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano, using a translator.

"It was tough for us to win one-on-one battles. One reason might be that we are physically worn out, which eventually takes its toll."

"Leo took a hit at the end, but fortunately, he’s okay."

Gerardo Valenzuela, a 20-year-old midfielder from the U.S., put Cincinnati ahead by scoring in the 16th minute.

Following him, Brazilian forward Evander added goals in the 50th and 70th minutes, sealing the win for the home team.

"We didn’t execute our game plan. They kept applying pressure, and we lacked energy and clarity, which led to our defeat," Mascherano concluded.

Miami's record dropped to 11-4, placing them fifth in the Eastern Conference with 38 points, which is eight points behind Philadelphia, the top team in MLS. Philadelphia secured a win against Montreal, maintaining a one-point lead over Cincinnati in the overall standings.

Inter Miami has three matches in hand over both rivals but would need to win all of them to surpass their competitors for the top position in the league.

“The opponent dominated us completely today,” said Mascherano. “The final score and how they defeated us clearly concerns us. We must now recover and prepare for the next match.” Miami's next challenge arrives this Saturday, as they head to face the New York Red Bulls, who triumphed over New England 5-3 at home, thanks to two goals each from Eric Choupo-Moting of Cameroon and Emil Forsberg of Sweden.

– De Paul set to join Miami –

On Wednesday, a source involved in the discussions informed AFP that Inter Miami has finalized an agreement with Argentine midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, who currently plays for Atletico Madrid.

The contract spans four years, during which De Paul will spend the rest of the 2025 season in Miami on loan from Atletico, with an option for a permanent transfer worth over $12 million.

De Paul is expected to make his debut for Miami on July 30 against Mexican team Atlas, as they participate in the Leagues Cup, a tournament featuring MLS and Mexican League teams.

After four seasons in Madrid, he will move to join his fellow countryman Messi, just 11 months ahead of the World Cup hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico.

Messi has not announced whether he will compete in the World Cup.

De Paul and Messi were part of Argentina's victorious 2022 World Cup squad, and their reunion might persuade Messi to extend his contract with Inter, which expires at the end of this year.

The team aspires for Messi to remain for the 2026 season when they will debut a new stadium in Miami.

At 31, De Paul joins a Miami team that features Messi, Luis Suarez from Uruguay, and Spaniards Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets.

On Wednesday, Charlotte was selected as the host city for the 2026 MLS All-Star Game. This year's All-Star event will take place in Austin, Texas, next Wednesday, where the MLS All-Stars will compete against the Mexican League All-Stars.