After spending the majority of the past month as a spectator, Lionel Messi may make his return to the soccer field following his inclusion in Argentina’s national team for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers this month.
Messi’s selection to the squad, announced on Thursday, came as a surprise and reunites him with several teammates who shared in last year’s World Cup victory, including Julian Alvarez, a forward, and Cristian Romero, a defender. Additionally, his Inter Miami teammate Facundo Farias has also received a call-up.
The decision to include Messi is unexpected considering his limited playing time over the past month.
Although he played the full 89 minutes in Argentina’s World Cup qualifying triumph against Ecuador on September 7, he hasn’t featured prominently in any match for either his club or country since then.
He opted out of the subsequent game—a victory over Bolivia on September 12—citing fatigue, and he was absent from Inter Miami’s defeat to Atlanta United on September 15.
Messi did return to the lineup for Inter Miami’s victory over Toronto FC on September 20 but was substituted out in the 37th minute. Subsequently, he has not participated in any crucial matches for Miami.
His absence was particularly felt during last week’s U.S. Open Cup final, where Miami lost to the Houston Dynamo without Messi. Furthermore, a series of underwhelming results have left Miami in a precarious position regarding their playoff hopes.
The nature of Messi’s fitness issue has not been disclosed by Inter Miami, leaving many questions unanswered. The amount of playing time he receives for Argentina this month could provide some insights.
Argentina is looking to maintain their winning streak in the World Cup qualifiers as they face Paraguay on October 12 and Peru on October 17.
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini
This season he played in total 4 times for 247 minutes for Major League Soccer.
Lionel Messi scored 1 goal for Inter Miami. He procured twice assists. He received no yellow cards and no red cards.
His team is currently 14th in Major League Soccer. In the last match Inter Miami lost 4-1 against Chicago Fire.
Inter Miami performance and stats
Inter Miami is currently 14th in the Major League Soccer with 33 points.
In the last 31 games, it has won 9 times, drawn 6 times, and lost 16 times. In its last match, Inter Miami lost 4-1 against Chicago Fire.
It has a negative goal difference after scoring 39 goals and conceding 50.
Inter Miami will play the next match in Major League Soccer against Cincinnati on Saturday 7th of October in Fort Lauderdale. The prediction is Inter Miami winning the match.