Inter Miami officially opened its 2026 preseason with a harsh reality check in Lima. In front of a packed Alejandro Villanueva Stadium, more than 29,000 fans pushed Alianza Lima to a convincing 3–0 win, with Paolo Guerrero scoring twice in the first half. Even with Messi, Suárez, and Rodrigo De Paul on the field, Javier Mascherano’s squad left Peru with more questions than answers in its first Champions Tour test.
It’s a friendly, it’s the start of a new cycle, the roster is still coming together, and six players were making their debuts at the same time. All of that matters. But when you step onto the pitch as the reigning MLS champions, with a trio like that, you at least expect intensity. And that was nowhere to be found.
Guerrero sends a message while Inter watches
The match opened on fairly even footing, with Inter Miami controlling more of the ball, 63 percent possession, but failing to turn that into real danger. Alianza were more direct, more aggressive, and far more efficient.
In the 30th minute, Guerrero capitalized on a rebound from debuting goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair, outjumped his marker, and headed home the opener. Six minutes later, he took a pass from Jesús Castillo and finished first-time inside the box. Two straightforward goals from an experienced forward, the kind that don’t come with warnings.
Fueled by the crowd and energized by the novelty of the matchup, Pablo Guede’s team grew into the game. Inter Miami, meanwhile, moved the ball around and held more possession, but couldn’t turn that volume into clear chances. The first half ended with a comfortable lead for the Peruvians and the feeling that the American side was still searching for rhythm amid so many changes. It also felt like the scoreline could’ve been worse.
Changes, debuts, and a second half with no response
After the break, both teams made several substitutions. Mascherano pulled his main trio in the 62nd minute, opening the door for more on-field experiments. Shortly after, in the 72nd, Luis Ramos made it 3–0 off an assist from Federico Girotti, both coming off the bench to seal the result.
The friendly also featured first appearances for David Ayala, Facundo Mura, Sergio Reguilón, Dayne St. Clair, Daniel Pinter, and Alexander Shaw, along with the return of David Ruiz from injury. A lot of new faces out there, which explains some of the lack of chemistry, but doesn’t excuse the collective flatness. Despite identical shot totals, 16 apiece, Alianza were sharper and more competitive. Inter Miami had possession and attempts, but little payoff.
Preseason is for mistakes, tweaks, and corrections. But Alianza Lima made one thing obvious: names don’t win games, possession doesn’t decide matches, and if Inter Miami wants to seriously compete in 2026, they’ll need to bring a lot more intensity right away.