Lionel Messi could equal the longest club winless streak of his career if Inter Miami fail to beat CF Montréal, with the Argentine currently on four consecutive appearances without a victory.
Lionel Messi one game away from matching unwanted career record with Inter Miami
Lionel Messi is just one game away from matching the longest winless streak of his entire club career as Inter Miami continue to struggle for results.
The Argentine superstar has now made four consecutive appearances without celebrating a victory with Miami.
If Inter Miami fail to beat CF Montréal in their next match, Messi will move onto five consecutive club appearances without a win, matching the worst run of his legendary career.
Messi has gone four games without a win
Inter Miami have endured a difficult period, and Messi has been unable to prevent the club’s recent slide despite continuing to contribute in attack.
His current personal run includes four consecutive appearances without victory.
Miami lost 3-2 against Club León before suffering a heavy 4-1 defeat against Nashville SC.
They then drew 2-2 with Philadelphia Union before falling to another defeat against Toronto FC.
Messi has still managed to produce goals and assists during the run, but Miami have been unable to turn his individual contributions into victories.
Inter Miami’s streak is already even longer
Inter Miami themselves are currently on a five-match winless run across all competitions.
The difference is that Messi did not feature in the earlier defeat against Monterrey, meaning that match does not count towards his personal streak.
As a result, Miami are already at five consecutive matches without victory, while Messi stands at four appearances.
It is Messi’s personal record that is now just one match away from being equalled.
Messi’s worst club run came with Barcelona
The longest winless run of Messi’s club career currently stands at five consecutive appearances.
That unwanted sequence came during his time with Barcelona in 2013.
Messi went without a victory across five appearances during a difficult spell that included draws against Celta Vigo, Paris Saint-Germain and Athletic Club.
The run also included Barcelona’s famous 4-0 Champions League defeat against Bayern Munich.
More than a decade later, Messi is now dangerously close to matching that unwanted mark in an Inter Miami shirt.
CF Montréal match could decide everything
Inter Miami’s next match against CF Montréal therefore carries additional significance for Messi.
A victory would immediately end his personal winless streak at four appearances and prevent him from matching the worst run of his club career.
However, a draw or defeat would take Messi to five consecutive club appearances without victory.
That would equal the longest winless sequence he has ever experienced at club level.
Messi still producing despite Miami struggles
The recent results should not be interpreted as a complete collapse in Messi’s individual form.
The former Barcelona star has continued to influence matches and has produced goals during the difficult run.
He found the net against Philadelphia Union and also scored late against Toronto FC, but neither performance was enough to deliver three points.
The contrast highlights one of Inter Miami’s biggest problems.
Even when Messi produces decisive moments, the team has struggled defensively and failed to control matches consistently enough to secure victories.
Pressure growing around Inter Miami
The unwanted streak comes during a turbulent period for Inter Miami.
The club have been dealing with poor results and changes around the coaching staff as they attempt to recover their momentum.
That has increased the importance of the upcoming Montréal game, with Miami desperately needing a victory to stop their slide.
For Messi, the match now carries a rare personal storyline as well. He is attempting to avoid matching a negative record that has stood since his Barcelona days.
Another failure could create a new career low
If Messi matches the five-game mark against Montréal, the following match would carry even greater significance.
Another failure to win after that would leave him with six consecutive club appearances without victory.
That would represent the longest such streak of Messi’s entire senior club career.
For a player whose career has been defined by trophies, victories and extraordinary records, it would be an extremely unusual milestone.
Messi needs a response from Inter Miami
Messi has broken countless positive records throughout his career, but this is one piece of history he will desperately want to avoid.
Inter Miami now have the opportunity to end both the club’s poor run and Messi’s personal streak when they face Montréal.
A win would quickly change the mood and move the focus away from an unwanted statistic.
But if Inter Miami fail to win again, Lionel Messi will officially equal the longest club winless streak of his career, a five-game run he has not experienced since his Barcelona days in 2013.
