Miami (AFP) – Luis Suarez scored twice and Preston Plambeck scored the winner as Inter Miami, without Lionel Messi, beat the Chicago Fire 3-2 on Wednesday to spoil Robert Lewandowski’s Major League Soccer debut.
Released: 07/23/2026 – 04:46Modified: 07/23/2026 – 05:22
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Uruguayan veteran Suarez captained Miami while Messi and Argentine Rodrigo de Paul were missing four days after Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain in the World Cup final.
Poland striker Lewandowski, 37, made his MLS debut after joining from Barcelona after they were crowned Spanish champions.
“After just two days with my new team, I didn’t expect everything to go perfectly in my first game,” said Lewandowski, who started for Chicago and played 63 minutes.
“I also need a little more time and I am sure that next time we will play with fewer mistakes than today in defense.
“If we defend better, we can win this game next time,” added Lewandowski, a prolific goalscorer who also played for Bayern Munich from 2014-2022 and has more than 700 goals for club and country.
It was 20-year-old Plambeck, a product of Miami’s youth system, who was the unlikely hero who came off the bench to score the winning goal in the 87th minute.
Lewandowski had an attempt blocked in the 14th minute, but Fire got on board four minutes later thanks to a poor own goal.
Miami goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo, starting in place of Canada World Cup goalkeeper Dane St. Clair, took advantage of Jan Frey’s routine pass but missed and saw the ball roll into the net.
Suarez equalized from the penalty spot in the 27th minute and gave Miami the lead in the 51st, firing home after a brilliant backheel from Germany’s Berterame.
Chicago’s South African Puso Dithejane made it 2-2 in the 67th minute but Plambeck had the final say, volleying home for his first Miami goal after goalkeeper Chris Brady parried Suarez’s shot from close range.
The win moved Miami second in the Eastern Conference with 34 points, five behind Nashville, and coach Guillermo Hoyos said Messi and De Paul were in no rush to return.
“The World Cup is huge, it’s physically and mentally draining and they deserve their place,” he said.
“We will be waiting for them when they return and are in a suitable state to be here.”
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