All signs indicated Lionel Messi would be heading to the 2026 World Cup in red-hot form. Instead, Messi raised alarms as he went straight to the locker room after being subbed off. Still, he left his mark with two assists for Inter Miami’s 6-4 win over Philadelphia Union.
The Herons and the U met in one of the most electrifying showdowns of the 2025-26 MLS campaign—and league history, for that matter. Under a typical spring downpour in Magic City, Inter Miami and Philadelphia Union played out a thrilling 6-4 showdown in the final game before the World Cup break.
For Messi, there were visible moments of frustration with his teammates’ defensive struggles. However, he was all over the pitch in the attacking half. Messi registered two assists and could’ve had a few more if it weren’t for some poor finishing.
Messi assists Berterame twice
After conceding two goals in the opening 10 minutes, Inter Miami needed a spark to get back into the game. Naturally, it had to come from Lionel Messi. Rodrigo De Paul found Messi one-on-one with the goalkeeper, and the Argentine ace showed that patience is a virtue as he waited for support to arrive. With a subtle touch to his left, Messi set up German Berterame, who only had to tap the ball into the back of the net.
The Messi-Berterame connection struck again in the 41st minute, this time with a bit of fortune involved. As Messi attempted one of his trademark shots from the edge of the box, Cavan Sullivan challenged for the ball and the deflection fell kindly to Berterame in what was virtually a moving penalty kick. Berterame made no mistake, firing home a powerful shot to cut Philadelphia Union’s lead to 3-2.
The Herons didn’t stop there. Not only did they erase the deficit, they also took the lead before conceding a late equalizer—all before halftime. In the second half, there weren’t quite as much action, but Inter Miami would gladly take it as they came away with a crucial 6-4 triumph. Now, the Herons are headed to the World Cup break in second place in the Eastern Conference.
Messi asks for substitution
As for Lionel Messi, he asked to be taken off with an apparent muscle injury to his left hamstring. While concern is naturally expected in Argentina, the fact that Messi walked off under his own power and showed little sign of pain—or anxiety about potentially missing the upcoming World Cup, which is clearly his main focus—should provide some reassurance.
Still, it was an unnecessary scare that everybody would’ve preferred to avoid. Regardless, it feels like it will take far more than this for Messi to miss the upcoming World Cup.
