After missing Inter Miami’s last two games with a leg muscle injury, Lionel Messi returned to MLS action on Saturday night, coming off the Herons’ substitutes’ bench at halftime and scoring the match-winning goal with six minutes to play and adding an assist in an eventual 3-1 victory over the LA Galaxy.
With his team leading the defending MLS Cup champions 1-0 at the interval on a Jordi Alba strike, Miami coach Javier Mascherano inserted Messi for Venezuelan winger Telasco Segovia.
It took the Argentine World Cup winner time to settle into the contest. Joseph Paintsil then equalized for the visitors just before the hour mark.
But sure enough, the GOAT gave his legion of pink-clad worshipers pink-clad at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale the special moment they hoped to see when news broke about an hour before kickoff that Messi was listed as an available sub.
Messi delivered it in brilliant individual fashion. On the right side of the field near the Galaxy’ penalty box, Luis Suarez sent a backwards pass to Rodrigo De Paul, who squared the ball to Messi standing about 40 yards from the visitors’ goal. The 38-year-old suddenly exploded past a defender then slalomed around several more before blasting an unstoppable left-footed shot into the bottom corner of keeper Novak Micovic’s net.
It was Messi’s MLS-leading 19th goal of the regular season, putting him one ahead of Nashville SC striker Sam Surridge. (Nashville visits NYCFC on Sunday.)
Suarez added an insurance tally for the hosts in second-half stoppage time off a seeing-eye feed from his former Barcelona running mate:
Saturday’s result pulled Miami, which claimed the Supporters Shield in 2024, within five points of Eastern Conference pacesetter Philadelphia Union, who lost to the New York Red Bulls on Saturday. However, Messi & friends have played three fewer games.
Messi was injured early in an Aug. 2 Leagues Cup contest against Mexican club Necaxa. He missed the Herons’ final group game win over Pumas and a 4-1 Aug. 10 loss to Florida rival Orlando City.
Miami faces Liga MX power Tigres on Wednesday in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals (coverage begins at 8:00 p.m. ET on FS1 and the FOX Sports app).
Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports who has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ByDougMcIntyre.
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