16 september 2024 : Lionel Messi made a strong return to action on Sunday, scoring twice in Inter Miami’s 3-1 victory against Philadelphia Union. Messi had been sidelined with an ankle injury since Argentina’s Copa America final win over Colombia on July 14.
With Argentina set to defend their World Cup title in 2026, fans are questioning whether the 37-year-old will participate. Argentina legend Juan Roman Riquelme is confident Messi will be there, stating on the AZZ channel, “Messi is reinventing himself. I have no doubt he’ll play in the next World Cup. We all want him to. He’s won a lot but still loves to compete and wants to win more.”
In the match against Philadelphia, Mikael Uhre opened the scoring in the second minute, but Messi responded with two goals to turn the game around. He first equalized in the 26th minute with a strike into the left post after receiving a pass from Luis Suarez. Four minutes later, he netted a second goal, this time from 15 yards out, giving Inter Miami the lead. Messi also assisted Suarez for a stoppage-time goal to seal the 3-1 win.
Before the match, Messi shared, “I was a bit tired from Miami’s heat and humidity, but I was eager to return after being away for so long. I started training with the team and felt better.”
