In the 37th minute of Inter Miami’s game against Toronto FC on Wednesday at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Lionel Messi returned to the field, although it was just for a short period. The Argentine superstar was then substituted off.
Messi appeared to be uncomfortable only a few minutes after Jordi Alba, another teammate, was replaced due to an apparent injury. He then put Deandre Yedlin in command of the contest before removing his captain’s armband and handing it to Deandre.
Messi went back to the bench and sat in the chair with his back against the backrest, appearing to be frustrated. With eight minutes of first-half stoppage time remaining, he then walked to the locker room.
“They needed to leave. Tata Martino, the head coach of Inter Miami, responded when questioned about Messi and Alba during the Apple TV broadcast at halftime, “We will analyze them as the days go by.
CNN has asked the group for more information.
Toronto FC would eventually lose 4-0 to Inter Miami.
Messi played on Wednesday for the first time since September 7, when he assisted Argentina in defeating Ecuador in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match.
Last weekend’s MLS regular season meeting between the team and Atlanta United was missed by Messi.
According to a club insider who spoke to CNN, the decision to rest the Argentinian World Cup champion was taken because of the volume of games he has played since joining the team in July. The insider claimed that the turf surface at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium had no bearing on the choice.
The following planned game for Inter Miami is against Orlando City SC on Sunday. On September 27, the group will play host to Houston Dynamo FC in the US Open Cup final.