Lionel Messi vs Robert Lewandowski: When did the two MLS stars last face each other?
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Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski are finally facing each other in the Major League Soccer, prompting questions of what was the outcome of the last clash between the two legends. Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski prepare to cross paths once again, facing off for the first time in Major League Soccer following a storied and at times tense history between the two iconic forwards. As the two legends prepare to share the pitch, fans are looking back at their most recent encounters. The Chicago Fire host Inter Miami on Wednesday, September 9, at Soldier Field. The home side enter the contest on a six-match unbeaten streak in MLS play, sitting fifth in the Supporters’ Shield standings with 38 points through 22 matches, while the Herons hold third place with 43 points through 23 games during a mixed stretch featuring one win, two draws, and two losses over their last five outings. Lewandowski previously featured against Inter Miami following his July 22 arrival in Chicago, as the Herons secured a 3-2 victory in a match Messi missed while resting after Argentina’s 2026 World Cup run. For Wednesday’s fixture, however, both superstars are expected to feature in the starting XI for one of the season’s most anticipated MLS matchups. A heated previous encounter between Messi and Lewandowski Following the cancellation of the 2020 Ballon d’Or, Messi stated during his 2021 acceptance speech that Lewandowski deserved the prior year’s honor, prompting the Polish striker to publicly question Messi’s sincerity. Messi subsequently excluded Lewandowski from his voting ballot for FIFA The Best award, fueling further public friction between the two. Lionel Messi of Argentina battles for possesion with Robert Lewandowski of Poland. (Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) That tension spilled onto the pitch during Matchday 3 of the 2022 World Cup group stage, where Messi visibly snubbed an on-field greeting from Lewandowski prior to kickoff. Argentina went on to secure a 2-0 victory over Poland, highlighted by a late incident where Messi dribbled aggressively at Lewandowski before drawing a foul. Speaking to ESPN a year later, Messi admitted he harbored extra motivation during that match. “I was bothered by the statements Lewandowski had made. Because when I won the Ballon d’Or, I truly meant what I said about him. And for him to speak the way he spoke, honestly, it bothered me. I dribbled past him again just because it was him,” he stated on what has been their last encounter until today. A deadlocked all-time series In recent years, the friction between the two icons has cooled, with Lewandowski publicly expressing hope that Messi would return to FC Barcelona during his tenure in Spain. Now competing as rivals in MLS, both stars will look to take the lead in their head-to-head record. Their series began during the 2014-15 UEFA Champions League semifinals, where Messi scored twice and added an assist in Barcelona’s 3-0 first-leg win over Bayern Munich. Lewandowski scored in Bayern’s 3-2 second-leg victory, though Barcelona advanced 5-3 on aggregate. Their final European club meeting came in 2020 during Bayern’s iconic 8-2 quarterfinal victory over Barcelona, where Lewandowski recorded a goal and an assist. Messi subsequently evened their all-time head-to-head record at 2-2-0 with Argentina’s World Cup victory over Poland, setting the stage for Wednesday’s MLS showdown to break the tie.
