Inter Miami goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo punished by own-goal error against Chicago Fire

Inter Miami’s return to Major League Soccer action produced an awkward moment for goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo, whose attempted pass from inside his own area ended with the ball in the net during a match against Chicago Fire, according to Argentine outlet Olé.

The incident came with Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul absent from the Inter Miami squad, with Olé reporting that both Argentina internationals were on vacation after their involvement with the national team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The same report said the match also marked Robert Lewandowski’s MLS debut after his departure from Barcelona following the 2025/26 season.

What happened

The error came in the 17th minute at Nu Stadium with the score still 0-0, according to Olé’s account of the Apple TV footage.

Inter Miami tried to build from the back. Defender Ian Fray played the ball to Ríos Novo, who looked to move it on first time rather than control and reset. The goalkeeper missed his contact, and the ball continued into his own goal.

The source report describes the mistake as the moment that put the visiting side ahead. No additional official match report or league confirmation was included in the material available for this draft, so the specific match status and scoring record should be checked against MLS or club channels before publication.

Key facts

Why Ríos Novo was in focus

Ríos Novo is a goalkeeper born in Los Angeles who developed in the Lanús system in Argentina, according to Olé. The outlet notes that he has usually been behind Dayne St. Clair in Inter Miami’s goalkeeping order.

That context matters because the incident was not simply a routine defensive error. It came in a high-visibility MLS match involving Inter Miami, a club whose matches have drawn global attention since Messi’s arrival, and during a period when several headline names were not in the side.

Olé also reported that this was Ríos Novo’s 21st appearance for Inter Miami. The outlet added that he was part of the squad that won the United States league trophy the previous season with Messi as the team’s leading figure.

Messi and De Paul absences change the frame

The absence of Messi and De Paul shaped the wider story around Inter Miami’s MLS restart. Olé reported that the pair were away after playing for Argentina in the FIFA tournament, leaving the team without two of its most prominent Argentine players.

For Inter Miami, that raises the importance of squad depth and defensive stability in the regular-season schedule. When elite attackers are unavailable, avoidable goals can carry extra weight because the team has fewer match-changing options on the field.

For MLS followers, the moment also underlines a recurring risk for teams committed to short passing from the goalkeeper: playing out from the back can help a side control possession, but it also leaves little margin for technical errors near goal.

Lewandowski’s debut adds another storyline

Olé framed the match as Robert Lewandowski’s debut after the Polish forward left Barcelona following the 2025/26 campaign. The report did not state in the supplied material that Lewandowski was directly involved in the own-goal sequence, so the incident should not be treated as a goal or assist for him unless official match data confirms it.

Even so, his presence adds relevance for global readers. Lewandowski remains one of the most recognisable centre-forwards of his generation, and any first MLS appearance would draw attention beyond the United States.

That broader focus may be why the goalkeeper’s mistake travelled quickly as a clip-based talking point: it combined Inter Miami, Messi’s absence, a new marquee arrival elsewhere in the match, and a highly unusual goalkeeping error.

What readers should check next

The next important step is the official match documentation. MLS and the clubs’ post-match reports should clarify how the goal was recorded, whether it was listed as an own goal, and how the match finished.

Team news will also matter for Inter Miami’s next fixture. If Messi and De Paul remain unavailable, coach selection and goalkeeper rotation could become part of the follow-up discussion, especially if the club has a congested run of league matches after the post-World Cup pause.

For now, the verified public account available from the supplied material is narrow: Olé reported that Ríos Novo missed an attempted first-time clearance or pass after receiving the ball from Ian Fray, and the ball ended up in Inter Miami’s net in the 17th minute against Chicago Fire.

Source: Olé — https://www.ole.com.ar/futbol-internacional/messi-paul-grosero-error-arquero-inter-miami-lewandowski_0_7GNSA5T8cx.html