Lionel Messi arrives in Toronto on a roll as Miami looks to climb the MLS standings

TORONTO — Lionel Messi arrives in Toronto on a roll, continuing his assault on the Major League Soccer record book.

The 38-year-old Inter Miami captain had two goals and an assist in a 3-2 victory over visiting D.C. United last Saturday and the same haul in Wednesday’s 4-0 win at New York City FC.

Thanks to those performances, Messi becomes the fourth player in MLS history to record eight multi-goal games in a single season. He joins Zlatan Ibrahimovic (who did it in 2019), Mamadou Diallo (2000) and Stern John (1998).

Messi has scored two or more goals in eight of his last 12 league appearances. And with his first-half assist against NYCFC, he became the first player in league history to record at least 35 goal contributions in consecutive seasons.

Messi leads the Golden Boot race with 24 goals, ahead of LAFC’s Denis Bouanga (22 goals) and Nashville SC’s Sam Surridge (21). He also has 13 assists, tied for third-best.

Messi and Miami are in the midst of a congested stretch of schedule. Saturday’s game against Toronto FC is Miami’s third in a week, with a home date against Chicago to come Tuesday.

So will Toronto fans see Messi play?

“(Saturday) you will know, when you see the lineup,” Miami coach Javier Mascherano said coyly with a chuckle. “I don’t like to talk before (the game) because, you know, we have a training session this (Friday) afternoon. So first, I like to talk with the players. I like to talk about who will play, who doesn’t. But at the end, (Saturday), you will know.”

Toronto coach Robin Fraser expects to see Messi on the pitch.

“They have so many good players that they probably could afford not to play him. But from everything I’ve heard, he’s ultra-competitive and I’m sure he wants to win and I’m sure he is going to play.”

Miami (16-6-7) has won three straight in its bid to retain the Supporters’ Shield it won last year (when it finished 22-4-8). It currently sits fifth with five games to play, five points behind league-leading Philadelphia but with two games in hand.

Having Messi quarterback the attack in Toronto would help the hunt for three more points.

Toronto (5-13-12) sits 21 places and 28 points below Miami in the overall standings. But while out of the playoff picture, TFC is proving to be a difficult out of late.

Depending on how you look at it, TFC is unbeaten in six games (0-0-6) or winless in eight (0-2-6).

Fraser’s side has not lost since July 26, a 2-0 setback at Charlotte FC. It hasn’t won since July 16, a 1-0 decision at San Diego FC.

On the plus side, Toronto has conceded just five goals in drawing its last six games — at Philadelphia, Atlanta, New England and Columbus and home to Columbus and Montreal.

TFC has spent the week preparing for Messi and friends, even calling on retired star striker Sebastian Giovinco to play the part of the Argentine captain in training.

“I think he’s the best player that’s ever played the game and that presents the most unique challenge,” Fraser, a former two-time MLS Defender of the Year, said of Messi.

“I remember they used to say about Michael Jordan, ‘You can’t stop him, you can only hope to control him,'” he added. “I would say the same is true for Messi. He can turn nothing into something in the blink of an eye.”

Saturday’s game comes on the heels of news that 37-year-old midfielder Sergio Busquets, another of Miami’s marquee players, is retiring at the end of the season.

Miami boasts the league’s most potent offence, with 64 goals. It scored 33 of those goals in the first half, which is three more than Toronto’s goal total this season (nine of TFC’s 30 goals have come in the first half).

However, Toronto is tied for sixth in the league on defence, while Miami is 20th. TFC has conceded 37 goals in 30 games compared to 46 in 29 outings for Miami.

Veteran Toronto centre back Kevin Long continues to be sidelined with a hamstring issue, joining long-term injury absentees Henry Wingo, Zane Monlouis and Nicksoen Gomis.

TFC is looking to the future and now has US$1,322.840 in 2025 general allocation money, up from zero as of May 1, according to new figures released by the league. And the stockpile is bigger, given that it does not include 2026 GAM.

GM Jason Hernandez has swung a string of deals to collect allocation money, which can be used to buy down a player’s hit under the salary cap.

Saturday’s game is the penultimate home outing for TFC, which visits Chicago and Los Angeles FC before closing out the season against Orlando City on Oct. 18.

Toronto, 2-8-1 in regular-season play against Miami, is looking for its first home victory over the Herons since March 2023. The teams drew 1-1 in Florida on April 6.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2025

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press