Lionel Messi is back on the pitch. The Inter Miami captain suffered a left hamstring strain on Wednesday, February 11th, ahead of the pre-season friendly against Ecuador’s Independiente del Valle in Puerto Rico, causing concern for the team and soccer fans, but the game was postponed to February 26th.
However, ahead of the start of the new MLS season, Leo took part in the club’s training session with his teammates on Wednesday, February 18, giving fans hope.
Messi returns to training
The doubts surrounding ’10’ and the possibility of him missing out on the start of the regular season with the MLS Cup champion and title defender (acquired last December) are starting to fade.
The 39-year-old footballer has been away from group training for several days and there was even speculation that he would not only miss these matches, but also his commitments with the Argentine national team for the Finalissima and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Three days before Inter Miami’s visit to Los Angeles FC, the team reassured fans by sharing several photos on their official account of the Argentine star training with coach Javier Mascherano.
The fans’ enthusiasm, relief and surprise to see him back on the pitch was immediately evident in the comments. One fan said: “There’s a goat here.” “Wow Leo is fully back in training…oh man this made my morning even better,” another commented. “The goat is back…we love you, Leo,” a third fan wrote.
Previously, Leo was expected to be sidelined for at least two weeks. However, the Argentine star’s progress appears to be entirely positive.
Nevertheless, while the recent news is encouraging, neither the club, the club’s coach nor Messi himself have confirmed whether the captain will travel to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on February 21st to face Son Heung-min’s LAFC.
The manager is expected to continue to assess his progress in the coming hours and make a statement based on this at his pre-match press conference. However, his return to the club’s training routine is an important step and a breath of fresh air for fans.
This season will be very special as they have to defend their title, but the new stadium Miami Freedom Park has also opened and big names such as Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets are no longer there. However, they can count on the addition of Mexican striker German Belterrame (formerly of Rayados de Monterrey), who has managed to resolve his visa issue.
