Football superstar and Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi has recently been in the news more for being off the pitch than for his performances on it. Messi did not take the field for Miami in Chicago on Thursday for a game against Chicago Fire, which made it the fifth match he has missed out of the last six with the Major League Soccer club. A scar tissue problem has been nagging the 36-year-old Argentine forward soon after the FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifying matches, and he has been listed as 'questionable' on Miami's injury report. On Tuesday, Messi trained away from the team. (More Football News)
The Fire comprehensively won the game 4-1 and sold 61,000 tickets, a record for the team, for the match which was held at Soldier Field. Once it became clearer that Messi will not take the field, it was declared that holders of season tickets could take a $250 credit for next season to compensate for Messi's absence. Similarly, spectators for just that one game were given a provision of a $50 credit if they chose not to attend.
Acknowledging fans's disappointment, Chicago coach Frank Klopas said: “Many people were here to see Messi, and who doesn't want to see him. But they saw a good performance from our team tonight.”
Messi has scored 11 goals in 12 matches with Miami. This has led to the side winning eight of those 12 matches, with seven of them part of the team's first-ever victorious campaign in the Leagues Cup championship, and another one in the US Open Cup semi-final. On the flipside, Miami have won just one of the five games which Messi has missed after joining the club.
Miami coach Gerardo Martino made light of the issue. “Barcelona missed him, and the Argentine team missed him. Of course we're going to miss the best player in the world.”
Martino, however, gave no timetable for Messi's return.
In Thursday's match, Xherdan Shaqiri and Maren Haile-Selassie both scored braces for The Fire. For Miami, Josef Martinez scored off a penalty kick.
Miami currently have 33 points with three games still to go, and they are five points behind Montreal for the last play-off berth, with four other teams to also overcome.
