Messi Returned to the Pitch and Had the Opposition Defense Rattled in Under Three Minutes
Coming off the bench, Messi entered in the second half, created two clear chances in under five minutes, and had the stadium rocking in MLS.
Vacation done, World Cup in the bag. Lionel Messi returned to the pitch with Inter Miami and, even coming off the bench, it took him no time at all to remind the world why everything stops when he touches the ball.
At the Nu Stadium in Miami, the team was already leading Columbus Crew 2–1 — thanks to a goal and an assist from Luis Suárez — when manager Guillermo Hoyos sent Messi on in place of Daniel Pinter, seven minutes into the second half. The entire stadium erupted before he had even touched the ball.
And when he did touch it, the damage was immediate. In one of his first involvements, after a short-corner combination with Rodrigo De Paul, Messi drove forward down the left and struck hard — the ball hit the side of Patrick Schulte's post. Three minutes later, Suárez found the number 10 inside the box with a lofted pass; he brought it down on his chest and struck again, this time narrowly wide of the right post.
Two shots, two scares for the defense. All in under five minutes.
As the game wore on, the intensity naturally dipped — understandable for someone returning from a World Cup and a rest period. In the final quarter of an hour, he still managed to create a chance for Mateo Silvetti, who wasted it with a forced cross.
For those backing Argentina at the 2026 World Cup, the signs are encouraging: Golmetria's model gives the Albiceleste a 69% chance of reaching the final. A rusty Messi still frightens defenses. A match-sharp Messi is a different level entirely.
The question that lingers: how long will it take him to get there?