Messi exits early with injury scare, Inter Miami beats Philly 6-4 in wild game
Lionel Messi grabbed the back of his left thigh and was subbed off late in the second half of Inter Miami’s wild 6-4 win over the Philadelphia Union Sunday night, sparking speculation that he felt a twinge of pain and didn’t want to take any chances with the World Cup kicking off in two weeks.
Messi fans at Nu Stadium and Argentina fans around the world took note of Messi’s early exit because he rarely comes out of games; and are now concerned as the defending World Cup champions begin defense of their title on June 16. The hope was that the 38-year-old icon would remain a key player for the squad.
Inter Miami interim coach Guillermo Hoyos said Messi left the game as a precaution after complaining of “fatigue”, but did not offer any more details.
“As far as I know, we don’t have a report on that yet, but he really was fatigued,” Hoyos said after the match. “He was tired, the field was heavy from the rain, and rather than doubt, you always say not to take the risk.”
Messi could be seen clutching his left thigh after a free kick in the 70th minute, came out in the 73rd minute and went straight to the locker room with Inter Miami and the Philadelphia Union tied 4-4 after combining for an MLS-record eight first half goals. Mateo Silvetti replaced him.
“Honestly, as an Argentinean, I’m concerned like everyone else, I tried to see how he was doing after the game, but did not see him in the locker room,” said Silvetti, who is from Messi’s hometown of Rosario. “I don’t know if he was with the medical staff or if he went home. At the moment he left, we were all concentrating on the game, so I wasn’t thinking about if it was for an injury or because he was tired.”
Messi’s close friend and Uruguayan legend Luis Suarez, living up to his nickname “El Pistolero” (The Gunslinger), then scored his third goal of the night at the 81-minute mark to push Miami ahead 5-4.
The 39-year-old Suarez completed the hat trick with a left-footed shot from close range with an assist from German Berterame, who got two goals of his own in the first half.
Then, Messi’s other close buddy and Argentina teammate Rodrigo De Paul, celebrating his 32nd birthday, made it 6-4 on a fast break after receiving a pass from Silvetti.
“It was a very important win for us to finish in the best way [before the World Cup hiatus], which is what we were looking for,” Silvetti said. “It was a very crazy game, a lot of goals. It speaks well of our team that no matter what we keep striving for the result.”
When Messi and his Inter Miami teammates lined up on Sunday night, the most burning question was not whether defending champion Miami would beat the last-place Union.
That seemed like a safe bet before the teams combined for an unexpected goal fest.
The defending MLS champion Miami boasts the most expensive roster in the league and was sitting in second place in the East while the Union had the lowest payroll and worst record in the league with just one win in 14 games entering Sunday’s contest.
The bigger question was whether the La Familia fans, who staged a silent protest last week, would be back with their drums, horns, banners and chants.
They were, after meeting with club management mid-week and airing out their frustrations about feeling unappreciated by the players, especially since moving to Nu Stadium this season.
Despite their drumbeats and piercing loud songs, Inter Miami got off to a miserable start on Sunday in a wild final game before the World Cup break. Messi’s team fell behind 3-1 and the teams were tied 4-4 as they headed to the locker rooms. It was such a bizarre half that at one point, the referee had to go to the sideline to replace his shoes, which had lost their soles.
Miami gave up an easy goal by unmarked Milan Iloski in the third minute after a headed pass from Frankie Westfield. Six minutes later, Iloski doubled Philly’s lead with a penalty kick following a foul in the box by Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair.
Berterame got Miami back into the game three minutes later on a close range shot with an assist by Messi. But the Union answered with a Bruno Damiani left footed shot at the 20-minute mark to take a 3-1 lead.
The stunned crowd at Nu Stadium got quiet, even as La Familia kept singing and jumping up and down.
Suarez injected Inter Miami and its fans with hope, closing the deficit to 3-2 in a shot from the center of the box after settling a pass by Ian Fray. Then, Berterame scored the equalizer on a Messi assist with a through ball.
Miami briefly took the lead, 4-3, on a close-range Suarez goal just before the end of regulation. But the crazy first-half goal fest was not over. Iloski recorded a hat trick to make it 4-4 just before intermission, converting a penalty kick to the top right corner after Miami left back Sergio Reguilon was called for a handball in the box.
Shortly after the second half got underway, heavy rain hit, drenching the players and blinding their field vision, but most of the fans stayed dry under Nu Stadium’s canopy that covers the stands.
La Familia kept quiet during the previous game because they felt players were not showing them the gratitude they deserve for the energy and atmosphere they bring to the stadium. They were particularly upset that Messi and the majority of his teammates had not saluted them after games, as is customary in soccer culture.
On Sunday, they were as loud as ever, determined to will their team to victory in a game that proved much more difficult that anyone expected. After the game, Inter Miami players made a point to go toward the North stand and applaud La Familia.
The Union won the Supporters’ Shield last season, but this year have the worst record in the league with just one win, 10 losses and four ties. The club let go of high-salaried veterans, and that has made a big impact.
Through 15 of 34 games, Inter Miami remains in second place in the Eastern Conference with 31 points off nine wins, two losses and four ties. Nashville is the leader with 33 points. Miami’s next game is July 22 against the Chicago Fire.
This story was originally published May 24, 2026 at 8:38 PM.