Lionel Messi’s impact on Inter Miami cannot be understated. Prior to the Argentine’s debut, they were bottom of the table and looked destined for an anonymous campaign.
However, after the arrival of the world champion, everything changed. The Florida club had a perfect run in the Leagues Cup and brought home the trophy thanks to 10 goals from the star striker.
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But now, Inter Miami are struggling once again due to absence of their star player. Out injured, Messi has missed five of his team’s matches and the results aren’t pretty.
In the first match without the Argentine, who was with his national team for qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, the Herons were able to cope with the absence of the No. 10.
The 3-2 victory over Sporting Kansas City showed that the club could indeed face opponents without their leader.
However, the following matches showed just the opposite. In four games without Messi, Inter Miami had two defeats and two draws, including a US Open Cup final defeat against Houston Dynamo.
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When will Messi return for Inter Miami?
The Argentine’s presence in Wednesday’s match against Chicago Fire is still uncertain. There is a possibility that Messi could return to the field as early as Soldier Field Stadium, but coach Tata Martino is not very optimistic.
“The scar is at risk of opening and that we would be in a much more serious problem,” the coach explained.
“I would tell you he’d be back in a month if I knew it was a month.
“The other day they were saying he was out for the rest of the season.
“You guys don’t take any risk. You say a month, then it’s not a month, it’s 40 days or 20 days. Nothing happens to you.
“I make a very serious mistake if I say something in haste, that’s why I avoid exact timeframes.
“I understand the desire to know the exact times.
“If I had the exact times I would say them, but I don’t have them.”