The encounter at Soldier Field on 10/9 featured a star-studded lineup, with Lionel Messi, De Paul, and Casemiro representing Miami, while former Barcelona and Bayern Munich striker Lewandowski led Chicago Fire's attack. The Polish striker made an early impact, putting the hosts ahead in the 10th minute, showcasing his impressive form with 7 goals across all competitions since his arrival in American soccer.

Miami responded right after halftime. Messi delivered a corner kick, assisting Casemiro's header into the Chicago net in the 48th minute, marking the Brazilian midfielder's third consecutive goal. The two teams ultimately drew 1-1.

However, the atmosphere on the field grew tense towards the end of the match. Lewandowski was involved in a clash with Miami defender Ian Fray in the 89th minute. Both players initially confronted each other as the ball was about to be put back into play, and tensions quickly escalated.

Fray fell after being pushed by Lewandowski, then stood up and retaliated with a stronger push. Although the Inter Miami right-back then returned to the penalty area to resume defensive duties, the 38-year-old striker seemed unwilling to let the incident go easily. Lewandowski advanced towards Fray, and that's when De Paul stepped in.

Known for his fiery personality on the field, the Argentine midfielder chose to confront the opponent to defend his teammate, even though the initial incident had begun to de-escalate. A subsequent camera shot from Major League Soccer (MLS) showed the two exchanging words. According to Spanish newspaper Marca, De Paul told Lewandowski, "Who are you, you idiot? I've won two Copa Americas and a World Cup, what about you?"

De Paul's reaction drew comparisons from some European newspapers to one of Lionel Messi's famous confrontations. At the 2022 World Cup, after Argentina's quarter-final victory over the Netherlands, Messi, in the mixed zone, directed his gaze towards striker Wout Weghorst, conveying the message: "Que miras, bobo? Que miras, bobo? Anda pa' alla, bobo," which means: "What are you looking at, you idiot? Get out of here, you idiot."

Wout Weghorst (orange shirt) directs his gaze towards Lionel Messi (number 10) during the Argentina - Netherlands quarter-final match at the 2022 World Cup on 9/12/2022 at Lusail Stadium, Qatar. Photo: AFP

De Paul was part of the Argentina squad that won the World Cup that year and had also won two Copa America titles with the national team. Inter Miami itself had highlighted these achievements when announcing his signing, describing the midfielder as a World Cup winner and two-time Copa America champion.

The 1-1 draw maintained the 5-point gap between the two teams in the MLS standings, with Miami in third place and Chicago in eighth, though Chicago has a game in hand. Messi and his teammates will now turn their attention to a match against Nashville, while Chicago will face New England Revolution.

Unlike De Paul, Lewandowski has not achieved success at the national team level with Poland, but he boasts numerous club titles. During his time at Bayern (2014-2022), he scored 344 goals in 375 matches, winning eight Bundesliga titles, three domestic cups, five German Supercups, one Champions League, one UEFA Super Cup, and one FIFA Club World Cup. Individually during this period, he also won seven Bundesliga top scorer awards, one Champions League top scorer award, two European Golden Boots, and two FIFA Best Player titles.

In his four years at Barcelona, he played 191 matches, scoring 119 goals, becoming the 14th highest goal-scorer in the club's history, and winning seven titles, including three La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey, and three Spanish Supercups. This summer, Lewandowski moved to MLS as a free agent.

Ha Phuong (via Marca)