Atlanta United finally stopped Inter Miami with a resounding 5-2 victory in the MLS. Though Lionel Messi didn’t play at Georgia, it was the first loss for his club since he arrived in July.
The Herons had been extraordinary as they’re back in the playoff hunt, won the 2023 Leagues Cup and clinched a ticket to the U.S. Open Cup final. Veterans like Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba were crucial helping Messi on those efforts.
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However, without the legend, Inter Miami couldn’t deliver in a very controversial game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. After the match, in a shocking turn of events, Atlanta United directly mocked Lionel Messi.
Atlanta United takes a shot at Lionel Messi and Inter Miami
Lionel Messi didn’t make the trip to Atlanta as coach Gerardo Martino decided to give him some rest. A few days ago, the player traveled to South America for the start of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers with Argentina.
He scored a sensational goal facing Ecuador at Buenos Aires, but missed the game against Bolivia. Nevertheless, Messi took the flight to La Paz in order to support his teammates.
As a consequence, the legend stayed in Miami and wasn’t part of Martino’s squad. One day before the match, the starbecame viral posting a story on Instagram in which he was seen eating pizza from famous restaurant Banchero. That’s when everybody knew Messi wasn’t going to be at Atlanta and his rivals took notice of that particular image.
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After their 5-2 victory at home, the official X account of Atlanta United in Spanish sent a harsh message to Lionel Messi and Inter Miami. “Here’s you pizza for the trip.” It was a clear reference to the Argentine’s food post from Florida.
Acá tienen su pizza para el viaje 🍕✌️
