Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi wasted absolutely no time reminding fans what he is capable of following his retirement from international football.
The Argentine legend registered two assists as Inter Miami drew 2-2 with Atlanta United on Saturday night at Nu Stadium in Miami.
It was Messi’s first competitive club appearance since he announced his retirement from representing Argentina on the international stage.
Inter Miami remain second in the Eastern Conference, sitting 10 points behind first-place Nashville with 11 regular season matches still remaining.
Casemiro opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, heading home a corner delivered into the box by Messi with pinpoint precision.
Miguel Almirón responded quickly for Atlanta United, drawing the visitors level just minutes after Casemiro’s opener.
Messi then produced a delightful lofted pass toward Telasco Segovia, who played in Luis Suárez for his 12th goal of the season just before halftime.
Suárez finished with a right-footed shot from the centre of the box, temporarily putting Inter Miami back in front heading into the break.
Breel Embolo converted a penalty in the 87th minute to earn Atlanta United a share of the spoils, despite Inter Miami pressing hard for a winner in the closing stages.
The match was delayed by over an hour due to heavy rain, but the crowd at Nu Stadium erupted when Messi finally emerged from the tunnel for warm-ups.
Midfielder Rodrigo De Paul captured the mood surrounding Messi’s return, speaking with clear emotion during a prematch interview with Apple TV.
“Very emotional,” De Paul said in Spanish. “We lived with so much excitement having him out there on the field. It brought us so much joy to see the Argentina jersey all over the world, and it always had a No. 10 on the back.”
Despite the bittersweet result, Messi’s performance underlined that his hunger and quality at club level remains completely undimmed by his international farewell.
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