Messi's triumphant return from injury: Two goals in 4 minutes
What's the story
Lionel Messi, the Argentine football superstar, made a triumphant return to the field after a three-month injury hiatus. He guided Major League Soccer club, Inter Miami, to a 3-1 win over Philadelphia Union, contributing two goals and an assist. This marked his first appearance since suffering an ankle injury during Argentina's Copa America final win against Colombia in July. After missing this month's World Cup qualifiers and eight Major League Soccer games, Messi returned to play the full 90 minutes.
Game changer
Messi's stellar performance boosts Inter Miami
Despite Philadelphia's early lead with a goal from Mikael Uhre just 58 seconds into the match, Messi turned the tide for Inter Miami. He scored the equalizer in the 26th minute and put his team ahead just four minutes later. Messi set up Luis Suarez for Miami's third goal deep into second-half injury time. This win pushed Inter's lead to the top of the MLS standings to 62 points, 10 points ahead of their closest Eastern Conference rivals, FC Cincinnati.
Post-match
Messi's post-match reflections and team's performance
After the match, Messi admitted to feeling "a little tired" but expressed his eagerness to return to the field. He said, "I really wanted to come back, I had been off of the field for a long time." The victory also marked Inter Inter Miami's fifth straight win and ninth out of 10 despite playing the previous nine without Messi.
Numbers
Messi's number for Inter Miami and overall club career
Messi has raced to 27 goals in 30 appearances for Inter Miami in all competitions. He owns 15 league goals in 19 matches, including 14 this season alongside 10 assists. Last season, Messi scored one goal and made two assists in six matches for Inter Miami in MLS. In total, he has netted 731 goals in addition to making 320 assists in 883 club career match appearances.
Twitter Post
Messi's first goal after he returned from his injury
HAD TO BE HIM!! 🐐 pic.twitter.com/GgdoFHFgzu
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) September 15, 2024