Xeeis — Lionel Messi’s eagerly anticipated return to the field turned out to be disappointingly short-lived as the Argentine superstar was substituted in the 37th minute during Inter Miami’s clash with Toronto FC at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Shortly after his teammate Jordi Alba had also been forced off due to an apparent injury, Messi appeared to be in discomfort. He took off his captain’s armband, handing it over to Deandre Yedlin, before leaving the pitch.
Messi found himself on the bench, where he expressed his frustration by leaning back in his chair. With eight minutes of stoppage time left in the first half, he made his way to the locker room.
Inter Miami’s head coach, Tata Martino, addressed Messi and Alba’s injuries at halftime on the Apple TV broadcast, stating, “They had to go out. We will evaluate them as the days go by.”
Despite these setbacks, Inter Miami managed to secure a convincing 4-0 victory over Toronto FC in the match.
This match marked Messi’s first appearance since September 7, when he played a crucial role in Argentina’s triumph over Ecuador in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match. Messi had also missed Inter Miami’s previous MLS regular season fixture against Atlanta United.
A source from the club informed that the decision to rest the Argentinian World Cup winner was made to manage his workload, given the number of games he has played since joining the club in July. The choice was unrelated to the turf field at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Looking ahead, Inter Miami’s next scheduled fixture is against Orlando City SC on Sunday. Additionally, the team is gearing up to host Houston Dynamo FC in the US Open Cup final on September 27.