MIAMI — What was already set to be a historic MLS match between Inter Miami and the Philadelphia Union became overshadowed by an unforeseen twist on Sunday night, as soccer icon Lionel Messi departed the fixture 17 minutes before full time, leaving Argentina’s World Cup camp monitoring his fitness ahead of the tournament’s kickoff next month. Messi, who is rarely substituted off during club play, had notched two assists to help Inter Miami mount a comeback after a shocking early 2-0 deficit to the last-place Union, but the 8-time Ballon d’Or winner began holding his left hamstring in the 71st minute. Rather than walking to the team bench to await substitution, Messi made a direct line for the locker room tunnel after being replaced by Mateo Silvetti, leaving the MLS champions’ fans to speculate over the severity of the issue. He walked to the locker room unassisted by medical staff, albeit at a slow pace.
The match itself went down in MLS history books, with both sides combining for eight first-half goals – a new league record. The Union got off to a blistering start, with Milan Iloski netting a first-half hat trick (including two penalties) and Bruno Damiani adding another to put Philadelphia up 4-2 22 minutes into the contest. Inter Miami responded quickly: Germán Berterame scored two first-half goals, with Messi setting up both, to pull the defending champions level at 4-4 by halftime. After the break, heavy rain soaked the DRV PNK Stadium turf, leading to multiple slipping incidents for players on both sides, though officials did not observe any notable misstep from Messi that could have triggered the hamstring issue. There has been no official confirmation from Inter Miami or the Argentina national team on whether Messi’s early exit was a precautionary measure or a response to a significant injury.
Late in the match, Luis Suárez scored his third goal of the night to put Inter Miami ahead, and Rodrigo De Paul – celebrating his birthday – added a stoppage-time strike to lock in a 6-4 win for the hosts. The result pushes Inter Miami to 31 points through 15 matches, good for second place in the Eastern Conference, just two points behind table-topping Nashville SC, ahead of the league’s World Cup pause.
For the Philadelphia Union, the loss extends a historically bad 2025 campaign. The 2024 Supporters’ Shield winners have plummeted from first place to the very bottom of the MLS table, holding just seven points through 15 matches with only one win all season. Their 10-goal thriller with Inter Miami drew star power beyond the pitch, with Grammy-nominated Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi – a Miami resident – performing the national anthem ahead of kickoff. Fonsi, a lifelong soccer fan, called sharing the stadium with Messi a once-in-a-lifetime honor.
All eyes now turn to the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, where Messi will look to defend his 2022 title with Argentina. The 39-year-old has previously stated he will only compete in the tournament if he is fully fit, and Argentina kick off their Group J campaign against Algeria in Kansas City on June 16, less than three weeks from Sunday’s match. If Argentina win Group J – a result most analysts expect as the defending champions – Messi could return to South Florida for a Round of 32 match in Miami Gardens on July 3, with a potential third-place match scheduled there on July 18. For now, the uncertainty over Messi’s fitness puts that entire trajectory in question, leaving soccer fans across the globe waiting for an official update on one of the sport’s biggest stars.