Lionel Messi’s early exit due to muscle fatigue in the 37th minute of Inter Miami CF’s 4-0 victory over Toronto FC on Wednesday created concern among fans and sparked speculation about his availability for future matches. The substitution occurred just moments after his former Barcelona teammate Jordi Alba also left the field.
Gerardo Martino, the coach of Miami, confirmed that both Messi and Alba will undergo evaluations in the coming days. However, he made it clear that neither player will be able to participate in the match against Orlando City on Sunday. The goal is for both players to be fully recovered and ready for the U.S. Open Cup final against Houston Dynamo next Wednesday.
“There is no chance they will be there on Sunday. I know we have a final to play [next Wednesday] but they won’t go near the pitch if they can’t play,” said Martino.
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Messi and Alba, who were included in the starting lineup after missing the previous match against Atlanta United FC, did not appear to be visibly injured during the game. However, they both displayed signs of physical discomfort and were ultimately substituted.
Martino stated, “They trained normally and we felt like they were ready to play. I don’t believe it’s anything new or anything worse than what they had before. It’s fatigue. We don’t think it’s a muscular injury. That’s also from a conversation that I just had with [Messi]. But we have to continue being careful and we’ll look at him the next few days.”
Furthermore, Martino expressed cautious optimism after speaking with the players. He remarked, “I’m cautious about what can happen and after talking to them, I’m less pessimistic than I was when I had to bring them off.”
Both Messi and Alba immediately joined the bench after their substitutions instead of heading to the locker room. Shortly after, Miami’s Facundo Farías scored a goal, giving the home team a 1-0 lead at halftime. In the second half, Robert Taylor netted two remarkable goals, while Benjamin Cremaschi added another to secure the win.
In the 23rd minute, Messi had a great opportunity to score, but unfortunately, his volley went over the crossbar from close range. Fifteen minutes later, it became evident that the Argentine was struggling with some physical discomfort, leading to his substitution.
Alba had exited the game just four minutes before Messi. Toronto also made two substitutions prior to the departure of Miami’s duo. Victor Vasquez, another former Barcelona youth player, was forced off in the 12th minute, and his replacement Brandon Servania had to be helped off the field due to a potential knee injury just 14 minutes later.
Before being substituted, Messi dealt with a leg issue. He was seen stretching his right leg during play and eventually removed his captain’s armband while waiting for a stoppage to occur, showing his eagerness to depart. He even took off his cleats, lowered his socks, and removed his shin guards before leaving the field.
Messi had already missed two previous matches – one for his club and the other for the national team – due to fatigue. He did not participate in Argentina’s World Cup qualifying win against Bolivia on September 12 and was absent in the loss to Atlanta on Saturday.
Wednesday’s match marked the beginning of a packed schedule for Inter Miami, with six games in a span of 17 days. After the matches against Orlando on Sunday and Houston in the Open Cup on September 27, Miami will face three more MLS matches in quick succession against New York City FC on September 30, Chicago Fire FC on October 4, and FC Cincinnati on October 7.
The outcome of the game leaves Miami five points behind D.C. United, who drew 1-1 with Cincinnati on Wednesday, for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. However, Miami still has two matches in hand.
Messi has made 11 appearances for Miami so far, primarily in the Leagues Cup and U.S. Open Cup competitions. He has scored 11 goals and provided five assists in those 11 games, including one goal with two assists in three MLS matches.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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