"Welcome back captain" - David Beckham sends message to Lionel Messi after shining for Inter Miami in Philadelphia win
Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham has 'welcomed back' captain Lionel Messi to the fold after a long injury layoff. The 37-year-old returned to club action after two months in a 3-1 MLS home win over Philadelphia Union on Saturday.
Messi hobbled off injured midway through the second half of Argentina's 1-0 2024 Copa America final win over Colombia in Miami in July. Since then, he missed eight games across competitions for the Herons. That includes four games in their Leagues Cup title defence, which ended with a 3-2 defeat at Columbus in the Round of 16.
However, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner finally returned to action in the league, where Tata Martino's side fought back from Mikael Uhre's second-minute opener. Messi hauled his team back on level terms 24 minutes later before completing his brace at the half-hour mark to put the Herons ahead.
Messi's former Barcelona striking partner Luis Suarez applied the coup de grace in the eighth minute of stoppage time to confirm the three ponts. Following the Argentine's impressive return from injury, Beckham posted an image of Messi on his Instagram stories with the caption:
"Welcome back captain Lionel Messi"
The Herons - play-off bound - are 10 points clear of second-placed Cincinnati in the MLS Eastern Conference after 28 games, as they seek their first league title.
How has Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi fared this season?
Lionel Messi has had an injury-hit first full season in American football with Inter Miami, whom he joined last summer after nearly two decades in European football, including 17 seasons at Barcelona.
The 37-year-old, who won his second straight Copa America title with Argentina this summer, has a rich haul of 16 goals and 12 assists in 16 games across competitions. That includes 14 goals and 10 assists in 13 outings in MLS, where the Herons are well clear atop the Eastern Conference.
Moreover, Messi has also bagged two goals and as many assists in three games in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, where Tata Martino's side crashed out in the quarter-final following a 5-2 aggregate defeat to Monterrey.
After missing the 2-1 first-leg loss at home, the Miami captain produced an assist in the return leg in Mexico but was powerless to stop his side crashing out with a 3-1 defeat on the road.