Lionel Messi’s first season with Major League Soccer club Inter Miami has quietly come to an end.
Messi played the entire game but had one of his goals blocked due to offside as Charlotte FC defeated U.S. Bank Stadium 1-0 on Saturday night in Charlotte, North Carolina. out, and the free kick went wide of the crossbar.
Messi, donning the black “La Noche” jersey for the first time since joining Inter Miami in late July, was competitive, committed and ran hard like the game was important. but it is not the truth.
Kerwin Vargas scored in the 13th minute and Charlotte saw both Inter Miami goals blocked on offside penalties and goaltender Kristijan Kahlina saved two shots in the final minutes, including a fingertip save from Leo Campana’s header and Messi’s corner kick to tie the game. MLS playoffs.
Messi doesn’t have to play. Inter Miami was eliminated from the playoffs earlier this month. The 2022 World Cup winner with Argentina and seven-time Ballon d’Or winner could have remained fit after returning from injury in September.
Messi looked great, scoring in the 32ndUnknown date. and 42Unknown date. Argentina held on to complete Inter Miami’s season with a 2-0 win over Peru in 2026 World Cup qualifying on Tuesday night.
Messi is playing on turf rather than natural grass for the first time in Major League Soccer (MLS). Inter Miami used its final road game of the season to evaluate its roster before a long offseason that could see it take two friends to China in early November and do more roster rebuilding.
Messi will travel to China with Inter Miami to participate in the games against Qingdao Hainiu on November 5 and Chengdu Rongcheng on November 8. He will also return to Argentina’s squad for games against Uruguay on November 16 and Brazil on November 21.
Messi has recovered from a right leg injury that missed games in Atlanta, Orlando and Chicago last month. He did not feature in six games for Inter Miami, including the club’s U.S. Open Cup final loss to the Houston Dynamo.
Messi has scored 11 goals and provided five assists in 14 games for Inter Miami, a team co-owned by David Beckham, Jorge and Jose Mas. But the club is winless in its past seven games.
Inter Miami won the League Cup in August, and Messi’s Inter Miami jersey has become the best-selling jersey in Major League Soccer (MLS). Apple TV has also benefited from broadcasting MLS games.
“If you had told me when I signed that we were going to win one of the three competitions, I would have signed with my eyes closed,” Inter Miami coach Gerardo Tata Martino said of the Carabao Cup said, U.S. Open and MLS playoffs.
The first season of the Messi era may have quietly ended, but there’s no denying it was an exhilarating success.
Messi misses free kicks in 62nd and 65th minutes: Charlotte FC 1-0 Miami
Leo Messi almost scored a brilliant free kick.
In the 62nd minute, Messi’s free kick on the right side of the penalty area was blocked by the Charlotte goalkeeper and hit the crossbar.Unknown date. minute. Charlotte’s Kerwin Vargas got the chance when he scored the only goal of the game on a handball.
Messi took another free kick from 40-45 yards out, but his ball hit the player’s wall.Messi tripped by two Charlotte defenders at 65th Minutes to set up the kick.
Messi goal offside: Charlotte FC 1, Inter Miami 0
At the start of the second half, Messi received a pass, jogged towards the penalty area and fired a shot over the head of the Charlotte goalkeeper.
But Messi’s only shot attempt of the game was offside.
Messi didn’t score.
A minute later, Messi’s next shot was blocked by a Charlotte defender.
Inter Miami misses shot: Charlotte FC 1, Inter Miami 0
Messi found space behind the Charlotte defender in the penalty area, but Leo Campana’s pass was beyond Messi’s reach in the 40th.th minute.
In the previous shot, Messi passed the ball to DeAndre Yedlin and Diego Gomez shot, but it was blocked by the defender. This was Inter Miami’s first shot of the game.
Messi was relatively quiet in the first half of this game, but involved and ran hard.
Kerwin Vargas Goal: Charlotte FC 1, Inter Miami 0
Messi, wearing a long-sleeved black jersey with a black “La Noche” Inter Miami jersey with the captain’s armband underneath, received the ball near the halfway line but played patiently for the first 10 minutes of the game.
But Charlotte FC, trying to keep their playoff hopes alive, took the upper hand in this game.
Kerwin Vargas scores in Game 13th Help Charlotte FC take a 1-0 lead in this game.
Messi starts against Charlotte at Inter Miami
Not only will Messi play, he’ll start: Messi was announced as one of Inter Miami’s starters for Saturday’s game against Charlotte.
This is a photo of Messi warming up before the game.
It remains to be seen how much Messi will feature in this game. Maybe, he came on in the first half. Perhaps, he will leave early after halftime.
who knows? Maybe that’s why Messi will play the whole game.
Messi gets some action in Inter Miami black jersey
He will don the black jersey of Inter Miami for the first time in the Messi era today against Charlotte.
Messi and Inter Miami have regularly worn the pink jerseys known as the “heartbeat kit” since he joined the club in late July.
Inter Miami released his kit on social media before the game, which was a treat for Messi fans who had been patiently waiting to see him in an Inter Miami La Noche jersey.
Messi takes the field on MLS Decision Day
While Messi will receive some attention on Saturday, the landscape of the MLS playoffs will take shape after today’s game.
Two playoff spots remain up for grabs, with five teams — Montreal, New York Red Bulls, Chicago Fire, Charlotte and New York City — battling for playoff hopes in the Eastern Conference.
The Portland Timbers, FC Dallas, San Jose Earthquakes, Sporting Kansas City and Minnesota United will compete for the final three playoff spots in the Western Conference.
What games are on MLS Decision Day 2023?
- Charlotte FC vs. Charlotte FC Inter Miami, 6 p.m. ET
- Cincinnati vs. Cincinnati-Atlanta United, 6 p.m. ET
- Columbus Crew vs. Columbus Crew CF Montreal, 6 p.m. ET
- New York City FC vs. New York City FC Chicago Fire, 6 p.m. ET
- Nashville SC vs. Nashville SC New York Red Bulls, 6 p.m. ET
- New England Revolution vs. New England Revolution-Philadelphia Union, 6 p.m. ET
- Toronto FC vs. Toronto FC Orlando, South Carolina, 6 p.m. ET
- Colorado Rapids vs. Colorado Rapids Real Salt Lake City, 9 p.m. ET
- Sporting Kansas City vs. Sporting Kansas City-Minnesota United, 9 p.m. ET
- LA Galaxy vs. LA Galaxy FC Dallas, 9 p.m. ET
- Portland Timbers vs. Portland Timbers-Houston Dynamo, 9 p.m. ET
- San Jose Earthquakes vs. Austin FC, 9 p.m. ET
- St. Louis City SC vs. St. Louis City-Seattle Sounders, 9 p.m. ET
- Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Vancouver Whitecaps LAFC, 9 p.m. ET
All games are available to watch via MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Messi says he will play in Charlotte
It is unclear whether Messi will start or come on as a substitute, but Messi will be selected in Inter Miami’s lineup.
Messi shared his intention to play after his most recent game, scoring two goals to help Argentina beat Peru in their 2026 World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday night.
After the Peru game, Messi said in an interview with TyC Sports and TVP: “I will train and I will participate in the remaining games.”
Messi trained with his Inter Miami teammates on Friday and assistant coach Xavi Morales said the club would determine his availability before Saturday’s game.
“I’m back well, I’ve played 90 minutes for Argentina. “He came back without any problems, nothing to worry about with what happened to him in the past,” Morales said of Messi.
“He’s doing well, in good shape, has a desire to play and it’s what he likes to do, so we’re good.”
Why Messi’s decision to play in Charlotte is unique
Messi’s decision to play football with Charlotte FC is relevant because it will be his first game on artificial turf in Major League Soccer (MLS).
During Messi’s first and only Inter Miami press conference in August, he seemed open to the idea of playing on turf.
“All the lower leagues I played in, I played on turf,” Messi said.
“That was a long time ago and I haven’t played on artificial turf in a long time. But I had no problem getting used to turf again.”
While MLS president Don Garber has said he would like MLS teams that play on turf to have a patch of grass on their turf, Charlotte has been outspoken in its opposition to playing exclusively for Messi ball idea.
“All of our MLS games are scheduled to be played on turf and there are no plans to switch to natural turf,” Charlotte FC said in a statement in July.
How has Messi performed in the last three games?
Messi looked close to 100% fit after Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Peru last Tuesday.I’ve scored 32 pointsUnknown date. and 42Unknown date. minutes and was determined to score a hat-trick, but it didn’t happen.
He looked sharp and back in form, playing from start to finish for the first time since injuring his right leg while playing for Argentina on September 24. The No. 7 has held him back for much of the past six weeks at Inter Miami.
This is a huge improvement from his previous two appearances: Argentina’s match against Paraguay on October 12, when Messi hit the crossbar twice, which left Messi looking a little rusty. One example is the free kick, which Messi has taken regularly since joining Inter Miami this summer.
Still, it was better than Inter Miami’s performance against FC Cincinnati on October 7, when he didn’t have a shot on goal. Inter Miami lost 1-0, the club’s first loss since Lionel Messi’s appearance, ending their MLS playoff hopes.
What are Leo Messi’s offseason plans?
Messi also detailed his offseason plans after the Peru game.
But he did not mention participating in Inter Miami’s two games against the Chinese Super League in early November.
Messi said: “I will train, I will participate in the remaining games that are coming, and I will try to be here (into the national team) in the best way possible for November (qualifiers).”
“After that, I will enjoy a holiday in Argentina. For the first time, I will have more time off in December, with a holiday and peace of mind to be with my people. In January, I will be back again for pre-season. . Start from scratch and, as always, be as prepared as possible.”
Messi, Inter Miami head to China
Inter Miami will play both teams in China on November 5 and 8 to capitalize on Messi’s global brand while enhancing its global brand image.
Inter Miami will face Qingdao Hainiu FC on November 5 at the Qingdao Youth Football Stadium in Qingdao, China, and Chengdu Rongcheng on November 8 at Phoenix Mountain Sports Park in Chengdu, China.
Messi may return to the Argentina squad for the games against Uruguay on November 16 and Brazil on November 21.
