Lionel Messi returned to Inter Miami training on July 29, ten days after Argentina lost the World Cup final 1-0 to Spain in extra time. Six World Cups. 21 career goals. A final he couldn't quite win. Now he's back in Florida, and Miami needs him.
He skipped the MLS-Liga MX All-Star Game in Charlotte on the same night — understandably so. During the tournament, the Messi family revealed his father Jorge is dealing with an undisclosed illness, and Messi took the break to spend time with him. That context matters. This wasn't a player managing his body. It was a son dealing with something more serious than football.
What he left behind in the World Cup
Eight goals and four assists in his sixth World Cup. He broke Miroslav Klose's all-time record for World Cup goals — his 17th came in Argentina's second group match — before Kylian Mbappé overtook him by the end, finishing on 22 to Messi's 21. Argentina came within one result of becoming the first back-to-back World Cup winners since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. They didn't get there. Spain did.
It's the kind of near-miss that defines legacies in complicated ways.
Where Miami stands — and what Messi's return means for the title race
Inter Miami went 2-0 without him, beating Chicago and Montreal to extend their winning streak to six matches. Sitting at 11-2-4 with 37 points, they're two points behind Nashville SC at the top of the Eastern Conference. The machine didn't break down. But the gap at the top is thin enough that getting Messi back in form, quickly, is the difference between leading the conference and chasing it.
Whether he features in the home match against Columbus Crew on August 1 is still unclear. Given the circumstances — the World Cup final, the time off, his father's health — rushing him back would be a gamble. Miami's recent form suggests they can afford a cautious approach. Nashville can't be given too much breathing room, though. Two points is not a cushion.
Columbus away clean sheets have been shaky this season, which makes that August 1 fixture a genuine opportunity with or without Messi — but with him, Miami's attacking ceiling is a different thing entirely. His status will quietly move the needle on Miami's odds to take the Eastern Conference.
For now, he's back on the training pitch. The rest is a waiting game.
