Messi was eager to return to action after a long absence. The star player played hard throughout the match, scoring twice and contributing one assist to help Inter Miami beat Philadelphia Union 3-1 on September 15.
“I really wanted to return to competition after a long absence and having to keep the fans waiting for so long. The injury forced me to be patient and gradually started training with the team. I felt better, so I decided to participate. I am very happy that I finished the whole match, helping the team win in a worthy way. But the truth is that after the match I was a bit tired because of the humidity and temperature in Miami,” Messi said after the match.
He also assessed: “We know the quality of our squad. We were the first team to attack and take control. Due to injury, I couldn’t compete much. But then, we responded and deservedly won.”
Meanwhile, coach Tata Martino said: “I am very happy because Messi was able to play the whole match without any problems. He felt fine after the match, although a bit tired. But this is normal. This is Messi’s first match back after more than 2 months of not playing.”
Messi scored a brace for Inter Miami in the 26th and 30th minutes, assisted by Suarez and Jordi Alba, to help the home team regain a 2-1 lead after falling 1-0 behind in the second minute when Mikkel Uhre scored for Philadelphia Union. At the end of the match, in the injury time, Messi created an opportunity for Suarez to score, sealing a 3-1 victory for Inter Miami.
With this double and 1 assist, Messi also set a historical record in MLS, when he became the player to score 15 goals and have 15 assists in the first 19 matches in MLS. He is the fastest player in the history of the tournament to achieve this feat, 10 matches earlier than the previous record holder, Sebastian Giovinco (29 matches).
This season, Messi has just played his 13th match for Inter Miami in MLS after more than 3 months of absence due to playing in Copa America and being injured in the final (July 15). But he has contributed 14 goals and 10 assists.
This famous player has now risen to 5th place on the list of top scorers of MLS 2024, behind Christian Benteke of DC United leading with 18 goals. Meanwhile, Cristian Arango (Real Salt Lake) and Suarez scored 17 goals and Denis Bouanga (Los Angeles FC) scored 16 goals.
Inter Miami still have 6 more matches in the MLS qualifying round before competing in the MLS Cup playoffs. With Messi’s current impressive comeback, there will still be every chance to compete for individual awards including top scorer and best player of the tournament.
