Messi, Inter Miami look rusty in 3-0 preseason loss to Alianza Lima in Peru
Defending MLS champion Inter Miami, looking rusty one week into training camp, lost its preseason opening match 3-0 to Alianza Lima in the Peruvian capital.
Paolo Guerrero, the 42-year-old Alianza legend, scored two goals in a six-minute span in the first half and Luis Ramos scored the third at the 72-minute mark.
Guerrero scored the first in the 29th minute. Dayne St. Clair, the 2025 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year making his Inter Miami debut, saved the first shot with his foot, but Guerrero pounced on the rebound and headed it in. Guerrero struck again on a counterattack with a right-footed shot at the 35-minute mark.
Miami’s lone scoring chance in the first half was a free kick by Messi, which sailed over the net. The visitors had a golden chance to close the gap early in the second half when Rodrigo De Paul passed to an open Luis Suarez in front of goal. But the Uruguayan, who signed a one-year contract extension in the offseason, shanked his shot over the crossbar. Suarez turned 39 on Saturday, but did not have much to celebrate on the field.
The game result was not surprising, considering how little time Inter Miami has had to practice. Also, a few players are yet to start camp.
A bigger concern is that left back Sergio Reguilon, who was playing his first game in an Inter Miami shirt, left the field with an apparent knee injury. Reguilon, a Spaniard who had stints at Real Madrid and Tottenham, was signed to replace retired Jordi Alba.
Reguilon said last week he was eager to get back to action after a long layoff. He went down on his first touch in the opening minutes. He was replaced by Argentine defender Facundo Mura.
The other player making his first start was St. Clair, the Canadian national team keeper, who joined Miami as a free agent after seven seasons with Minnesota United.
Saturday’s game was the start of a four-match Champions Tour that includes stops in Colombia for a game against Atletico Nacional on Jan. 31, Ecuador for a Feb. 7 game against Barcelona de Guayaquil, and a newly announced Feb. 13 friendly in Puerto Rico against Ecuadorean Serie A champion Independiente de Valle.
Messi, the two-time MLS MVP, started the match along with right back Ian Fray, center backs Maxi Falcon and Noah Allen, midfielder De Paul, midfielder Yannick Bright, midfielder Telasco Segovia, and attacker Mateo Silvetti.
On the bench were goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo, center back Gonzalo Lujan, midfielder David Ayala, midfielder David Ruiz, midfielder Santi Morales, forward Daniel Pinter, midfielder Alexander Shaw, and draft picks Mamadi Jiana (F), midfielder Kenan Hot (MF), Abdel Talabi (D).
Messi, Suarez and De Paul played 63 minutes and were replaced by Pinter, Ruiz and Ayala. Later in the game, Rios Novo, Lujan, and the Miami draft picks got a chance to get on the field.
Ruiz, an Inter Miami academy product who grew up in Little Havana, missed most of last season with injuries. He said he was honored and happy to be back.
Pinter, another homegrown player who was recently promoted to the first team, added: “It’s an amazing feeling to start the year as a first-team player, to be part of this group. I’m really happy I got to go in and get some minutes. It was a beautiful atmosphere.”
Missing from the Inter Miami roster were Tadeo Allende and Micael dos Santos, who are finalizing visa paperwork, and goalkeeper Luis Barraza, who signed on Friday.
The match was part of an annual Alianza Lima tradition called Noche Blanquiazul, an international friendly that serves as the presentation of the squad in front of their fans.
This week’s festivities were marred by a scuffle at their training ground after angry supporters stormed the field and confronted players and staff following news that three players – Carlos Zambrano, Miguel Trauco, and Sergio Peña – were under investigation after sexual assault allegations by an Argentine woman.
The alleged attack took place in Montevideo, Uruguay, during the club’s pre-season training and the players involved have been indefinitely suspended.
This story was originally published January 24, 2026 at 6:17 PM.