Inter Miami Beat Chicago 3-2 as Luis Suárez stars and Robert Lewandowski makes his MLS debut in a dramatic encounter

Inter Miami CF defeated Chicago Fire FC 3-2 at Nu Stadium in Miami, Florida, on Wednesday, 22 July 2026, with Luis Suárez scoring twice and academy graduate Preston Plambeck delivering a late winner to spoil Robert Lewandowski’s Major League Soccer debut.

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The result came in an entertaining contest where Miami overcame an early setback and secured three valuable points despite being without global stars Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul, who were rested following Argentina’s 1-0 defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.

Lewandowski, who recently joined Chicago Fire from Barcelona after helping the Spanish club secure the La Liga title, made his first MLS start and played 63 minutes in his opening appearance.

The 37-year-old Poland captain admitted that he needed more time to fully adapt after only spending two days training with his new teammates.

“After just two days with my new team, I didn’t expect everything to work perfectly in my first game,” Lewandowski said.

“I also need a bit more time, and I’m sure that next time we’ll play with fewer mistakes than today in defence. If we defend better, we can win this match next time.”

Chicago opened the scoring in the 18th minute after Miami goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo turned a routine back pass from Ian Fray into an own goal.

Suárez brought Miami level from the penalty spot in the 27th minute before putting his side ahead early in the second half, finishing a clever backheel assist from Germán Berterame.

Chicago responded through Puso Dithejane, who equalised in the 67th minute to set up a tense finish.

However, Plambeck secured victory for Miami three minutes from time, reacting quickly to fire home a rebound after Chicago goalkeeper Chris Brady saved Suárez’s initial attempt.

The win lifted Miami to second place in the Eastern Conference with 34 points, five behind league leaders Nashville.

Miami coach Guillermo Hoyos said there was no rush for Messi and De Paul to return, acknowledging the physical and mental demands of their World Cup campaign.

“A World Cup is something immense, and there’s physical and mental wear and tear, and they deserve their space,” Hoyos said.

“We’ll be waiting for them whenever they can come back and are in the right condition to be here.”

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The result gave Inter Miami a memorable victory while Lewandowski’s MLS journey began with defeat, but the veteran striker remained confident that improvements would follow as he settles into American football.