Lionel Messi made his long-awaited competitive return on Saturday, coming off the bench for Inter Miami in a 2-2 draw with Columbus Crew.
The Argentine superstar had not featured competitively since captaining Argentina in their 1-0 World Cup final defeat to Spain on 19 July.
Messi, who turned 39 this year, scored eight goals and registered four assists throughout the World Cup tournament before his country’s heartbreaking final loss.
The Inter Miami faithful gave Messi a thunderous reception when he entered the pitch in the 53rd minute, with his side holding a 2-1 lead at the time.
He wasted little time making his presence felt, immediately working an opportunity before firing a left-foot shot from an acute angle into the side-netting.
A second chance arrived moments later when Messi chested down a Luis Suarez ball, only to shoot just wide of the Columbus goal.
Miami had taken an earlier lead through a Suarez moment of pure brilliance, the Uruguayan striker producing an audacious long-range chipped strike for his seventh goal in just four games.
Brazil midfielder Casemiro, who joined Inter Miami in July following his departure from Manchester United, inadvertently gifted Columbus an equaliser by putting the ball into his own net while stretching to block a cross.
Noah Allen restored the home side’s advantage with a headed goal, only for Brais Mendez to curl in a stunning 84th-minute free-kick on his debut to earn Columbus Crew a point.
Messi continued to hunt for a winning goal deep into added time, coming close with a looping header that went narrowly wide before sending a right-foot shot over the bar.
The result means Inter Miami remain without a victory in this fixture, though Messi’s return will provide a significant boost for the club as the MLS season continues.
His influence on the pitch was clear even in a short cameo, with the forward consistently finding pockets of space and demanding the ball from his teammates throughout his time on the field.
Suarez’s rich vein of form will also be a major positive for the team, with the veteran striker now contributing consistently at a remarkable rate across recent matches.
Miami will be hopeful that a fully fit and match-sharp Messi will help drive their campaign forward in the coming weeks as the league race intensifies.
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