Lionel Messi has returned to Inter Miami after playing for Argentina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Messi and Argentina would fall short against Spain in the World Cup Final, as Messi did not make an impact in the game.
Now, Messi has made his first start with Inter Miami since the World Cup, and his coach, Guillermo Hoyos, made sure to praise his star.
“He struck the ball out of the air,” Hoyos said of Messi’s first goal. “Those of us who have played football know what it takes to find the time and space to connect, meeting a cross coming from left to right and hitting it cleanly on the volley with his left foot. If we were talking about painting, it would be Picasso.”
Messi scored in the 11th minute of the game, as Inter Miami tied the game with Atletico de San Luis 1-1. David Rodriguez had scored in the fourth minute of the game. The Leagues Cup is a competition featuring teams from both Liga MX and MLS, with the winner qualifying for the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Telasco Segovia scored in the 26th minute before Messi scored in the 44th minute to make it 3-1. Messi was not done there. He added an assist on a goal from Micael in stoppage time for the first half. Inter Miami would go on to win 4-2.
“If Messi plays on the counter, he’s the best; if you sit deep and give him too much time on the ball, he’s also the best,” San Luis coach Diego Mejía said. “So, my decision was for us to stick to our identity. We look at the bigger picture, of course, but we’re talking about the greatest player in history.”
Lionel Messi has returned to Inter Miami after playing for Argentina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Messi and Argentina would fall short against Spain in the World Cup Final, as Messi did not make an impact in the game. Now, Messi has made his first start with Inter Miami since the World Cup, and his coach, Guillermo Hoyos, made sure to praise his star.
