Lionel Messi made a triumphant return from injury, scoring twice and providing an assist to lead Inter Miami to a 3-1 victory over Philadelphia Union.
The 37-year-old Argentine star had been sidelined since suffering an ankle injury during Argentina’s Copa America final win against Colombia in July.
Messi’s absence saw him miss this month’s World Cup qualifiers and eight Major League Soccer (MLS) games, but his return was worth the wait. Despite Miami’s dominance in the MLS Eastern Conference standings, his presence was clearly missed on the pitch.
Philadelphia Union got off to a flying start, taking the lead just 58 seconds into the game with Mikael Uhre finding the net. However, Inter Miami equalized in the 26th minute when Messi collected a pass from Luis Suarez, beat a defender, and fired home. The goal was the result of strong teamwork, with Jordi Alba, another ex-Barcelona teammate, playing a key role in the buildup.
Just four minutes later, Messi struck again, this time finishing off an assist from Alba to put Miami ahead. In the dying moments of the game, deep into second-half injury time, Messi set up Suarez for Miami’s third goal, sealing the win.
Reflecting on his return, Messi, who now boasts 14 goals in 13 games this season, admitted he was feeling the effects of the match. “I really wanted to come back, I had been off of the field for a long time,” Messi said. “Little by little I was training with the group, feeling good and that’s why we decided that I would start, and I’m very happy.”
Elsewhere in MLS action, LA Galaxy staged an impressive comeback to defeat their Los Angeles rivals, LAFC, 4-2 in a top-of-the-table clash in the Western Conference.