Category: Lionel Messi

FORT LAUDERDALE — Thousands of pink No. 10 Lionel Messi jerseys nearly filled DRV PNK Stadium Wednesday night for the highly anticipated U.S. Open Cup final between Inter Miami and the Houston Dynamo, but the Argentine icon was not wearing one. Messi, bothered by a nagging old injury, was not in uniform and left off the Miami roster. He showed up shortly before kickoff in street clothes and watched the game from the field-level suites, where French legend Zinedine Zidane, Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham, and Dynamo co-owner James Harden were among the dignitaries in attendance. The Argentine...

Lionel Messi returned to Inter Miami’s lineup on Wednesday night. It was a short-lived comeback, however, but his team rolled after he departed in the first half. Messi was subbed off in the 37th minute of Inter Miami’s match against Toronto, after spending a few minutes laboring with what appeared to be a leg issue. Miami came up big without him, winning 4-0 to move within five points of the final playoff spot in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference. Robert Taylor, who came on for Messi, had two goals and an assist. But Messi’s status overshadowed all that. The 36-year-old Messi had missed...

FORT LAUDERDALE — With Lionel Messi out of the lineup to play in a pair of World Cup qualifiers for reigning champion Argentina, Inter Miami got two goals from Leonardo Campana and hung on to beat Sporting Kansas City 3-2 on Saturday night. Facundo Farias added the third goal for Miami (8-14-4), which remains 14th in the Eastern Conference table, but only six points behind the team in the last playoff spot, D.C. United. However, D.C. has played two more games than Inter Miami. The match was a test for Miami, which is 11-0-1 in cup and MLS matches since Messi’s arrival with the club. He already...

Anywhere, anytime, Inter Miami can’t lose. Even with Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets not starting Saturday night against the New York Red Bulls, it didn’t end up being a massive blow, as Inter Miami —without four other regular starters — played a smooth, comfortable match to a 2-0 win. It’s Inter Miami’s first regular-season win since May 15, ending the club’s winless streak at 11 games. Fans chanted “We want Messi!” numerous times throughout the night as he began the match on the bench for the first time since his debut against Cruz Azul. Their wishes were finally granted in the 60th minute...

FORT LAUDERDALE — At long last, Lionel Messi has spoken. Inter Miami’s superstar has been with the team now for a month and kept relatively quiet — at least off the field — outside of a few brief TV interviews. He held his first Inter Miami press conference Thursday at DRV PNK Stadium ahead of Saturday’s Leagues Cup final match at Nashville. Messi addressed a wide array of topics in just under 20 minutes, ranging from his decision to join Inter Miami, the acclimation process, what it would be like to win the Leagues Cup and plenty more. It was a grand event, one that only a handful of other...

What stood out most were the half-smiles. They told the full story. Lionel Messi sat in a black warmup suit with the Inter Miami logo Thursday afternoon and introduced himself to the media nearly a month after introducing himself with his first, game-winning goal. The first question was something about all the winning since arriving in America, and if this is what he expected, and he began his answer with by saying, “Actually, I was very happy when I came here.” He then gave that small grin, that Mona Messi smile, that spoke of his warm feelings. There has never been a second act like this in...

FORT LAUDERDALE — Lionel Messi almost didn’t score for the first time in an Inter Miami uniform. The international superstar played all 90 minutes Friday night, but he rarely provided any threatening moments nor a jaw-dropping play like he had in each of his first four Inter Miami games. Besides the extra buzz in the stadium whenever he touched the ball, Messi looked human. But even so, he still found his way on the scoresheet in the match’s final minutes on a tap-in goal for good measure. The match was all but over at that point, as Inter Miami grinded to a 4-0 victory over Charlotte FC at...

Inter Miami now knows who they will be facing in the round of 32 of the Leagues Cup. In-state rival Orlando City will make the short trip down to DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale to open the knockout rounds against Inter Miami on Wednesday night. The matchup was determined dramatically by Saturday’s results. Orlando City scored a game-winner in the 92nd minute and needed a point-blank save in the 96th minute to defeat Mexican club Santos Laguna. Inter Miami will have had seven days off once Wednesday arrives, while Orlando will have three. Better yet, another star could be in line to make...

FORT LAUDERDALE — Lionel Messi played his first match with Inter Miami and it couldn’t have gone any better. The international superstar wasn’t in the starting lineup Friday night against Cruz Azul, but was inserted in the 54th minute. With the match tied 1-1, he drew a foul in the 90th minute, then rocketed a free kick into the top right corner for Inter Miami’s first win in two months. Pink fireworks exploded above DRV PNK Stadium and the Inter Miami faithful let out its loudest roar since the club began play in 2020. Messi was noticeably quick in his first minute on the field. He connected...