Messi, De Paul return, Inter Miami settles for 2-2 tie against Columbus Crew
Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul were back in uniform for Inter Miami on a soggy Saturday night at Nu Stadium, 13 days after playing in the World Cup Final for Argentina.
De Paul was in Miami’s starting lineup against the Columbus Crew and Messi came in off the bench in the 53rd minute to a rousing ovation and chants of “Messi! Messi!”
But it was not the homecoming they hoped for. Inter Miami settled for a 2-2 tie after a late free kick goal by the Crew’s Brais Mendez, making his MLS debut after joining the club from Spain’s Real Sociedad.
The draw snapped Miami’s win streak at six games and kept the team in second place in the Eastern Conference and Supporters Shield standings, two points behind Nashville, which also tied.
Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez wore the captain’s armband until Messi entered the game and continued his hot streak, scoring in the 16th minute to give Miami a 1-0 lead and providing the assist on Noah Allen’s go-ahead goal on a header in first-half added time that pushed Miami ahead 2-1 at halftime.
The 39-year-old “Pistolero” (Gunslinger) showed he has not lost his touch or his game smarts, launching a high-arching shot from nearly 40 yards out over the head over Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte, who had come off his line and could not get back in time. The play began with Miami midfielder Yannick Bright’s high pressure forcing a Crew turnover. Suarez, not hesitating, took advantage and sent his shot soaring.
It was Suarez’s seventh goal in the past four games. He scored a hat trick against Philadelphia in the last game before the World Cup break, had a brace against Chicago and the lone goal in a 1-0 win over Montreal last weekend.
After the Crew had tied the score on a Casemiro own goal in his home debut, Suarez stepped up just before halftime with the perfectly placed cross to Allen’s forehead after receiving a pass from De Paul.
Messi had a chance to score a third goal for Miami, but his close range shot at the 56-minute mark missed to the right.
Although Messi and De Paul could have taken the allowable 21 days off following the World Cup, per FIFA rules, Messi returned to the Inter Miami training grounds on Wednesday. De Paul returned to training on Friday.
“I want to thank all the players for the effort they put in,” said Inter Miami coach Guillermo Hoyos. “I especially want to thank Leo and Rodri for traveling and showing up so soon after the World Cup. That was very important. This is a difficult, competitive league. We were winning in the 86th minute and wanted three points, but ended up with one. The game escaped us in the final minutes.”
Hoyos added that it was an even match as far as possession, and he once again praised his players for their work ethic.
“These players have worked very hard over the past few months, trained so hard, traveled, and sometimes a result like a tie looks bad. But we as a coaching staff are grateful that after the World Cup these players have made the effort to be here and rejoin their teammates.”
The rest of Inter Miami’s starters were goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo, right back Facundo Mura, 18-year-old center Ecuadorean center back Fricio Caicedo (making his MLS debut), center back Micael, left back Allen, midfielder Yannick Bright, midfielder Casemiro (making his home debut), winger Daniel Pinter, winger Mateo Silvetti and striker Suarez.
Kickoff was delayed 40 minutes by inclement weather. The team unveiled its new Cenit (Zenith) third uniform. The jersey features a white base accented with pink, mint and black detailing. The shirt’s pattern drew inspiration from the architectural lines of Nu Stadium’s signature canopy.
Miami’s roster Saturday was depleted as German Berterame is out on concussion protocol after a hard hit against Montreal that resulted in him exiting the field in an ambulance. Tadeo Allende remains unavailable after knee surgery. Midfielder Telasco Segovia and right back Ian Fray were serving suspensions for yellow card accumulation.
Center backs Maxi Falcon and Gonzalo Lujan remained unavailable while recovering from calf strains.
Brazilian World Cup midfielder Casemiro, who joined Inter Miami last week after four seasons at Manchester United, made his debut against Montreal and put in a full 90-minute shift. He played the full game in his home debut on Saturday, and helped control the tempo of the match, but made two costly mistakes.
Attempting to cut off a pass in the box at the 34-minute mark, he slid and mistakenly kicked the ball into the Miami net for an own goal. Then, in the 84th minute, he was issued a yellow card for a foul on Sekou Bangoura and that led to Mendez’s free kick.
“Casemiro is one of the best players in the world at his position,” Hoyos said. “He is a tremendous player who gives us balance defensively and offensively. It was a very good signing for us. He is also a great person.”
Other than Messi, other Miami players who came off the bench Saturday were David Ayala and David Ruiz, who replaced Bright and Mura in the 75th minute and Preston Plambeck, who went in for Silvetti at the 86-minute mark.
The Columbus Crew Starting XI included: goalkeeper Patrick Schulte, right back Mohamed Farsi, right center back Steven Moreira, left center back Rudy Camacho, left back Sean Zawadzki, midfielder Andre Gomes, midfielder Hugo Picard, midfielder Taha Habroune, midfielder Dylan Chambost, striker Jamal Thiare, striker Daniel Gazdag.
MLS takes a break from the regular season during the next two weeks for the Leagues Cup, which features MLS teams vs. Mexican Liga MX teams. Inter Miami kicks off the tournament Wednesday with their group-stage game against Atletico de San Luis, followed by an Aug. 8 game against Monterrey and Aug. 12 game against Leon. All three matches are in Miami at Nu Stadium.
Unfortunately for Miami, Suarez, who has been on fire, is suspended for the next six Leagues Cups games for spitting at a Seattle Sounders staff member after the 2025 Final last August.
“It’s a shame [Suarez cannot play Leagues Cup] because he is playing at a very high level,” Hoyos said. “He helps us not only with goals, but with assists and his work. He is one of the greatest players in the world, we will miss him. He is irreplaceable. We have to compete starting Wednesday in a very challenging, attractive tournament between two countries. Hopefully, we can get the results we want.”
This story was originally published August 1, 2026 at 8:16 PM with the headline "Messi, De Paul return, Inter Miami settles for 2-2 tie against Columbus Crew."