MLS
Lionel Messi’s first public comments after Inter Miami’s shock MLS Cup exit
The Argentinian star scored in last weekend’s game against Atlanta United but his Herons side crashed out of the playoffs at the first hurdle.
After a record-breaking regular season campaign, it is fair to say that Inter Miami’s all-star cast failed to perform on the biggest stage.
The Herons were bounced from the MLS Cup playoffs at the Round One stage, beaten by an Atlanta United side that only scraped into the post-season via the Wild Card route. Last Saturday’s defeat in front of home support at Chase Stadium brought Lionel Messi’s first full season in MLS to a close, without the glorious ending that many were expecting.
The 37-year-old is still in the running to be crowned MLS Most Valuable Player but he was forced to reflect on an underwhelming end to a historic season. He did not speak to the media in the aftermath of the Atlanta defeat, waiting instead to issue his first comments via Instagram earlier this week.
Translated into English, Messi wrote: “A season ended in which we continued to grow as a club and, although we achieved some goals, we wanted more. Thanks to all the people who joined and supported us. Now let’s get ready to come back stronger next year.”
When is Lionel Messi’s next game for Inter Miami?
Soon after the game Messi left his Inter Miami teammates to join up with the Argentina national team for the November internationals. The MLS Cup playoffs will now go on a two-week hiatus while top players are away with their national teams and there will be no Inter Miami fixtures when the competition resumes.
Instead, the Herons will look ahead to the 2025 season; the final guaranteed year of Lionel Messi’s contract. Miami opted to embark on a busy schedule of pre-season friendlies ahead of the 2024 campaign and they may look to do so again.
Last year their preparations began with a trip to El Salvador on January 20 to take on the local national team, before embarking on a dizzying world tour that took them to the US, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and Japan.
After receiving criticism for that hectic pre-season schedule, it would be no surprise to see them slim down the fixture list in 2025. But even if they do, expect to see Messi in an Inter Miami jersey again in late January 2025.