It is not often that one sees one of the greatest players in history sit on the sidelines for a game. And that too while his team is losing on the pitch. That is exactly what happened with Lionel Messi yesterday, as he was forced to sit on the stands as Inter Miami fell to a 3-2 defeat to CF Montreal in the MLS.
Having won almost everything, Messi is at the MLS club to enjoy the end of his career. He infamously missed a friendly game in Hong Kong, which earned him much criticism there. And it looks like it may become a common feature.
Why did Lionel Messi miss Inter Miami’s MLS tie?
Lionel Messi sat on the sidelines with his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, as Inter Miami played host to CF Montreal yesterday. The hosts conceded an early goal in the 13th minute, before both sides scored two goals each in the last 20 minutes. The game ended 3-2, with it being the first loss for Miami this season.
Messi has been riddled with fitness issues since last year, which has seen him miss too many games lately. He was even a constant absence on their pre-season tour, but he played all of their games so far into the season. Yesterday was the first and only time the team has missed their captain so far this season.
🚨🗣️Tata Martino after the match last evening :
— PSG Chief (@psg_chief) March 11, 2024
“Messi and I talked more than a week ago and we agreed that the game against Montreal FC was the match in which he had to rest, regardless of what happened against Nashville.” pic.twitter.com/NSei24syeX
The MLS club’s captain is said to be nursing a slight knock, and the club had already decided to take a cautious approach since the beginning of the season. It is so that a resurgence of his fitness issues doesn’t come back.
Manager Tata Martino had previously said that Lionel Messi would be given enough rest as the Argentine is now 36 years old. He said that Messi’s absence was pre-planned regardless of the knock he suffered. “We discussed this about a week ago. We agreed that this was the game he should rest, independent of what happened in the game against Nashville.”
This decision was to keep Messi fully fit in the upcoming second leg of their CONCACAF Round of 16 fixture against Nashville, after they drew the first leg 2-2.
Messi’s performance this season
Lionel Messi has played all the games since yesterday and has been a crucial part of his team. He helped them win their opening MLS game against Real Salt Lake and scored a brace as they beat Orlando 5-0. He had also salvaged a crucial point, scoring a last minute equalizer against LA Galaxy, and also scored a goal in their first leg CONCACAF Round of 16 fixture against Nashville.
So far, he has scored 4 goals and gave one assist in the 4 games he has played. In all of those games, his side was unbeaten. The only game he was absent was yesterday, and they lost. This only shows the impact of the captain on the team.
Sadly, Messi is expected to be routinely rotated this season, to ensure he doesn’t aggravate his injuries. At the age of 36, this was bound to happen and his teammates such as Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez, and Jordi Alba will face the same as well.
Lionel Messi will hopefully be able play in Inter Miami’s next game against Nashville on Thursday, as they will hope to advance to the quarter finals of CONCACAF Champions Cup.
