FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Lionel Messi made an immediate impact for host Inter Miami against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, scoring the winning goal in a 2-1 victory that lifted the South Florida side into first place in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference.
Messi returned to the lineup and scored less than two minutes after subbing into the match early in the second half. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner took a pass from Luis Suárez on the right side of the penalty box, made a quick move and sent a right-footed shot past two Philadelphia defenders into the net for a 2-0 Inter Miami lead.
It was Messi’s second goal in three Major League Soccer matches this season.
Miami head coach Javier Mascherano said he wanted to ease Messi back to action, while avoiding the risk of further injury, after he missed two World Cup qualifiers for Argentina with an adductor injury.
“We wanted Leo to have minutes,” Masherano told a news conference. “The idea was to have him play for 30-35 minutes, with the added time he played more but he feels good.
“We didn’t want to risk him by starting him because we thought we’d run a risk in doing that. Luckily he finished well, and that makes us very happy.”
Messi also was dealing with an issue with his left thigh along with the adductor injury, which happened two weeks ago in an Inter Miami game against Atlanta. However Miami did not play during the FIFA window so the only matches Messi missed were the World Cup qualifiers — when Argentina, which Messi captained to the 2022 title, qualified for the 2026 tournament.
Messi came Saturday in the 55th minute, and the goal came in the 57th. He’s had at least one goal contribution in all three MLS matches in which he has appeared this season for Inter Miami, which is 4-0-1 in MLS play and 8-0-1 overall this season when adding in four victories in Concacaf Champions Cup matches.
Inter Miami jumped in front in the 23rd minute and took a 1-0 lead into half-time on a goal by Robert Taylor. Benjamin Cremaschi and Jordi Alba assisted on that goal.
Messi came on for Taylor, and quickly stretched the lead to 2-0 with Suarez and Fafà Picault getting the assists.
Dániel Gazdag got the goal for Philadelphia (4-2-0) in the 80th minute, but Inter Miami held on from there.
Inter Miami will now prepare to face LAFC in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup series on Wednesday night at BMO Stadium. Mascherano said he anticipates Messi will make the trip to Los Angeles if all goes well during upcoming training sessions.
“The plan is for him to recuperate and travel to Los Angeles. Today, the time that he played, he played because he was good,” said Mascherano. “We didn’t risk him.
“He wasn’t for the full 90, but it did him well to play the 45 minutes including added time and if nothing weird happens, the plan is for him to travel.”
The team previously defeated Cavalier FC in the round of 16 to reach the quarterfinals.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
