Robert Lewandowski stole Lionel Messi’s spotlight in their first Major League Soccer (MLS) clash on Wednesday, scoring against the Barcelona legend's team as Chicago Fire held Inter Miami to a 1–1 draw. More than 60,000 fans watched the two former Barcelona stars go head-to-head, with both playing the full 90 minutes. Lewandowski joined Chicago Fire in July following the expiry of his contract with Barcelona, while Messi has been playing in the MLS since 2023. Before kick-off, Lewandowski and Messi shared a warm handshake in the tunnel. Chicago made the dream start, taking the lead after just 10 minutes. Lewandowski fired home from eight meters for his sixth goal of the season, giving the home crowd plenty to celebrate. Inter fought back to manage a 48th-minute equalizer when Brazil international Carlos Casemiro headed in a corner by Messi. During the match, an altercation broke out between Lewandowski and an Inter player that resulted in the Polish striker being pushed to the ground. In the war of words that followed, Rodrigo De Paul—a clubmate and Argentinian national teammate of Messi’s with a reputation as an on-pitch provocateur—reportedly shouted at Lewandowski: “Who are you, dummy? I won two Copa Américas and a World Cup. What about you?” Wednesday’s draw was Fire’s fourth in succession and leaves the club in fourth place in the MLS Eastern Conference with Inter Miami in second with a game in hand.
