Suarez double rescues Inter Miami as goalkeeper’s howler goes viral and Lewandowski misfires

Luis Suarez struck twice to drag Inter Miami to a 3-2 win over Chicago Fire after a calamitous own goal by his goalkeeper went viral – and on a night when Robert Lewandowski failed to score on his MLS debut.

The match, played in the early hours of Thursday, came with Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi rested following the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup. In his absence, Suarez took centre stage, while Lewandowski endured a frustrating first outing for his new club.

Goalkeeper’s blunder sparks online ridicule

The standout moment of the game – for all the wrong reasons – arrived in the 18th minute and quickly spread across social media.

Argentine goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo, starting for Inter Miami, committed a glaring error for Chicago’s opening goal. Under no pressure, he miscontrolled a routine back-pass from a team-mate, allowing the ball to trickle past him and into the net.

The soft concession instantly drew derision online, with clips of the mistake widely shared and the incident mocked by fans as one of the most avoidable goals of the season.

Despite the humiliation, Miami regrouped and eventually overturned the deficit, sparing Rios Novo from having his blunder directly cost his side the result.

Suarez decisive as Messi rests

With Messi sitting out to recover after international duty, Inter Miami leaned heavily on Suarez’s experience and finishing.

The Uruguayan forward scored twice to swing the contest in Miami’s favour, leading his side to a narrow victory in a high-scoring encounter.

Suarez’s brace underlined his continued impact in MLS and ensured Miami capitalised on the opportunity to move up the table, even on a night when defensive frailty and an individual mistake threatened to undermine their efforts.

Lewandowski draws blank in first MLS outing

On the opposite side, Chicago Fire handed a first start to their high-profile new signing, Poland striker Robert Lewandowski, following his departure from Barcelona.

Lewandowski began the match in the starting XI but was substituted in the 63rd minute after failing to make a decisive impact. He did not score or assist, and struggled to impose himself in his debut appearance for the club.

For Chicago, the night was intended to mark the start of a new attacking era with one of Europe’s most prolific forwards leading the line. Instead, it ended with disappointment as they could not build on the early gift from Rios Novo and eventually fell to defeat.

Table implications

The victory lifted Inter Miami to 34 points and into second place in the league standings, strengthening their position in the play-off race.

Chicago Fire remain on 26 points in third place, though they still have a game in hand which could yet close the gap if they take advantage.

While Suarez’s goals ultimately shaped the result, it was Rios Novo’s error that provided the night’s most talked-about moment – overshadowing Lewandowski’s much-anticipated league debut and ensuring the match will be remembered as much for a viral mistake as for Inter Miami’s important win.