Ten-man Inter Miami stutter in draw vs Barcelona SC | OneFootball

Inter Miami's preparations for the upcoming 2026 MLS season continued away from home this evening, suffering a hiccup during a 2-2 draw against Ecuadorian outfit Barcelona SC.

Scorers: Rojas (41'), Martínez (87'); Messi (31'), Berterame (45+3')

Sent Off: Ayala (87')

Despite little by way of eventful football taking shape across the opening 30 minutes of action, it didn't take long for you know who to find his way on the scoresheet soon after.

Ian Fray picked out Lionel Messi in the center channel before a customary darting run through the Ídolo del Ecuador lines ended in the diminutive dynamo emphatically opening the scoring in the 31st minute.

The Herons would be pegged back ten minutes later, however, when Joao Rojas headed home from just six yards out after getting on the end of Johan García's corner after Dayne St. Clair misjudged his attempt to collect.

Messi would become the focal point once again, though, turning provider for Germán Berterame's first in Inter Miami colors when his deflected effort from inside the box restored the one-goal advantage in the third minute of stoppage time.

After a largely uneventful second stanza, a late hit from Barcelona's Tomas Martínez would once again see the home side level matters, this time, in the immediate aftermath of Herons' midfielder David Ayala being sent off for a straight red.

Despite Messi's magic, a 2-2 draw at full-time was a fair result pocketed by a spirited Barcelona outfit in front of home support at Monumental Banco Pichincha.

📸 Franklin Jacome - 2026 Getty Images