Inter Miami secured a 2–1 victory over Ecuadorian club Independiente del Valle in a friendly match held in Puerto Rico on February 27, 2026. The match, originally scheduled for February 13, had been postponed due to Lionel Messi’s injury. In front of 20,000 spectators, Messi came on as a substitute and scored the winning goal from a penalty in the 70th minute, giving his team a morale-boosting win.

The game was marked by an incident in the 88th minute when several fans entered the field. One supporter attempted to hug Messi and accidentally knocked him to the ground before security intervened. Despite the interruption, the match concluded without further issues.

Inter Miami, coached by Javier Mascherano, had already completed their pre-season preparations and started the new MLS season with a 3–0 loss to Los Angeles FC. Their next fixture is scheduled for March 2 against Orlando City.