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Messi returns to Inter Miami duty after tearful Argentina farewell

Miami host DC United chasing a first win in six MLS matches

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time2 min
Lionel Messi will line up for Inter Miami on Saturday against DC United, days after closing out a 21-year international career with Argentina in front of more than 85,000 fans at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires.

Messi said farewell to the Argentina national team on Tuesday, scoring one goal and setting up two others in a 3-0 friendly win over Benin. The 39-year-old left as his country's most-capped player, with 208 appearances, and its record scorer, having capped years of international frustration with World Cup and Copa America triumphs.

His immediate task is to lift Inter Miami out of a five-match winless run in Major League Soccer. Miami (12-5-10, 46 points) sit third in the Eastern Conference, level on points with New England, who hold the tiebreaker with 14 wins.

Miami have won only once in their last 10 league matches. They took the Campeones Cup on September 16 in the first game under newly hired coach Kily Gonzalez, but have since drawn with San Diego and lost 2-1 at Columbus.

"Leo is a person who every day conveys it and passes it on to his teammates, and he demands from all of us that you have to be at 100% in every way," Gonzalez said on Friday.

Messi has been in strong form this season with 21 goals and 13 assists in league play as he chases a third consecutive MLS MVP award, but Miami will need more contributors if they are to arrest the slide.

DC United (6-8-12, 30 points) arrive in 11th place, three points behind the final playoff spot in the conference and desperate for a result after a three-match winless streak. Their last victory came on September 9. The two sides met in Baltimore on March 7, when Messi and Rodrigo De Paul scored in a 2-1 Miami win.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • Messi's exit from international football closes the most decorated chapter in Argentina's history, ending a 21-year run that included a World Cup and multiple Copa America titles.
  • For Inter Miami, his return comes at a critical moment: the team has won only once in its last 10 league matches and is trying to steady itself under a new coach.
  • The result carries playoff implications for both sides, with Miami chasing a strong seed and DC United fighting to stay in contention.

Background

Messi's international career was long defined by disappointment before it became defined by triumph. After years of runner-up finishes, Argentina finally won the Copa America, then the 2022 World Cup, completing a redemption arc that made his farewell a national event. He now returns to club duty in an MLS season in which he has remained prolific but Miami have struggled for consistency as a team.

Key Perspectives

Inter Miami and Kily Gonzalez: The club sees Messi as the standard-bearer, with Gonzalez praising his daily demand that everyone perform at 100 percent. Miami will hope his presence lifts a side that has leaned heavily on him.

DC United: They are the desperate team, three points off a playoff place and winless in three. A defeat would leave their postseason hopes in serious doubt.

Critics and skeptics: Miami's dependence on Messi is the obvious concern. With only one win in 10 league matches, questions remain about whether the supporting cast can contribute enough to sustain a title push.

What to Watch

  • Whether Miami end their five-match winless streak and how Messi performs in his first match since the emotional farewell.
  • The Eastern Conference playoff race, with DC United needing points to close the gap to the final spot.
  • Miami's form over the closing stretch, as a team tied on points at third shows how tight the seeding battle is.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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