Messi leaves – Lionel Messi exited in the 73rd minute with concern about his left hamstring as Inter Miami rallied past the Philadelphia Union 6-4 on Sunday night, with Germán Berterame scoring twice and Rodrigo De Paul sealing the win in stoppage time.
For the second straight match, Lionel Messi changed the rhythm of Inter Miami the way he always does—by doing less than usual.
On Sunday night, with heavy rain beginning early in the second half, Messi left the field in the 73rd minute, removed well before Luis Suárez’s third goal of the night helped lift the defending MLS champions past the Philadelphia Union 6-4.
Messi, who “almost never gets subbed out of matches,” still finished the night with two assists. Germán Berterame scored twice, and Inter Miami produced a record-setting first half that made it feel like the World Cup break couldn’t come soon enough for a different reason: concern.
After Messi’s shift in the 71st minute—when he reached toward his left hamstring at least once—he didn’t even make it to the edge of the bench when he could be replaced. He was taken out by Mateo Silvetti, then left immediately through the tunnel connecting the field with the team’s locker room.
He walked under his own power, though slowly, and there were no team medical personnel with him as he went. The rain kept intensifying, and at points it was clear players were slipping on the turf. Still, it wasn’t clear whether Messi’s departure was purely precautionary, or something more.
Rodrigo De Paul, on his birthday, scored in stoppage time to complete Inter Miami’s 6-4 win.
That score came after an opening burst that felt almost impossible to slow down. Milan Iloski had a first-half hat trick for the Union, including two penalty kicks. Bruno Damiani also scored. Philadelphia was up 2-0 just 10 minutes into the match. then watched the game swing into a tie at 4-4 by halftime.
The eight goals by halftime became an MLS record, with the league reporting it as such.
The immediate worry now is what Messi’s exit means for Argentina. Messi has said in the past that he would only play in the World Cup if healthy, and Argentina is set to begin group stage play on June 16.
Argentina’s World Cup group includes Algeria on June 16 at Kansas City, Austria on June 22 at Arlington, Texas, and Jordan on June 27 back at Arlington.
If Argentina wins the group, Messi—assuming he plays—would be expected to appear in a Round of 32 match in Miami Gardens on July 3. The only other way for him to play in South Florida during the tournament would be if Argentina reaches the third-place match on July 18.
All of it hinges on his hamstring now—whether the injury is something to watch closely, or just a scare that forced an earlier-than-planned break.
Back in Miami, the performance still carried the weight of a season that hasn’t been lost. Inter Miami enters the break second in the Eastern Conference with a record of 9-2-4 and 31 points. two points behind Nashville (10-1-3. 33 points). The club is also fourth in the Supporters’ Shield standings, a trophy Philadelphia won last season.
For the Union, the night was a reminder of how far off track they are. They have seven points at 1-10-4 and head into the break at the bottom of the league—following a first-to-worst collapse this season that stands in stark contrast to how close Inter Miami has remained to the top.
Lionel Messi Inter Miami Philadelphia Union MLS World Cup left hamstring Luis Suárez Germán Berterame Rodrigo De Paul