Messi suffers an all-time low in Inter Miami's loss to Orlando City | OneFootball

Inter Miami's spring free-fall continued on Sunday night in a 3-0 defeat to Orlando City, leaving Lionel Messi's Herons winless in their last three matches and dropping to sixth in the Eastern Conference standings.

And for longtime Messi devotees, if these kinds of struggles feel like something you've never seen from a Messi-led team before, well, they aren't.

According to Opta, Miami's three-goal defeat to Orlando City is the largest Messi has ever suffered in a home league game in which he has appeared.

While that's reflective of how sideways the last week has gone for Miami, it's also an astounding stat to think about. That's 313 total matches since Messi began his senior club career with FC Barcelona as a teenager two decades ago. And only one home league defeat by three or more.

It's also reflective of an MLS dynamic that is often difficult for even the loftiest of stars to adapt to after spending the majority of their careers at the top teams in Europe.

The gravity of MLS parity

Because roster rules apply similarly to all teams -- rather than UEFA's financial fair play regulations that are adjusted on a club-by-club basis based on their revenue generated -- the gap in quality between the top and the bottom of the MLS league table is much narrower than in most top European leagues. That includes Spain's La Liga and France's Ligue 1, the two divisions in which Messi has played.

That's illustrated all across MLS this season, with the defending MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy now winless in 14 matches and unexpected names like the Whitecaps and Minnesota United at the top of the Western Conference standings.

What makes Messi's case so interesting is the arc of his MLS adjustment has been the reverse of the norm. In the beginning, it seemed Messi could do no wrong with Miami, helping the side win its first major trophy -- the 2023 Leagues Cup -- only weeks after his debut, and helping the Herons power to an MLS points record and Supporters' Shield title in 2024.

It's only been after a full year in the league that the gravity of MLS' relative parity has taken a toll on the Herons, first in their shock exit from last year's playoffs, then in a decisive exit to the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Concacaf Champions Cup, and now in this three-match winless stretch in which the Herons have been outscored by six total goals.

The previous loss, 4-1 at Minnesota United, also was significant as Messi's first three-goal defeat in any MLS appearance, home or away.