Lionel Messi marked his return with two goals and an assist, leading Inter Miami to a 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Union.
Messi returned to play after a two-month break due to an ankle injury from the Copa America Final, significantly impacting his first game since June 1 at Chase Stadium.
In the 26th minute, Messi initiated the scoring, finishing a pass from former Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez. Quickly following, he scored again in the 30th minute, converting a back pass from Jordi Alba into Miami’s second goal. These rapid-succession goals positioned Inter Miami favourably before halftime.
Despite his recent absence, Messi showed peak form, erasing Philadelphia’s early lead with his two goals within four minutes. This performance propelled Inter Miami, who had a strong run of 8-2 without Messi, to the top of the Supporters Shield table with 62 points.
Suarez, contributing with one assist and a stoppage-time goal, reached 17 goals for the season. However, his potential goal in the 44th minute was overturned after a VAR review for offside.
The match became heated in the 67th minute when Philadelphia’s Quinn Sullivan fouled Messi. Sullivan and Inter Miami coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino were booked following the incident.
Philadelphia pushed for a tying goal in the second half but failed as Messi set up Suarez for a decisive third goal from 18 yards. Before his injury, Messi had accumulated 12 goals and 13 assists in 12 league games.
The match started dramatically, with Philadelphia’s Mikael Uhre scoring two minutes into the game. Messi also had an early chance with a free kick in the seventh minute, but Philadelphia’s defence blocked it.
Looking ahead, both teams have away games on Wednesday: Inter Miami will face Atlanta, while Philadelphia will challenge New York City FC.
