Lionel Messi shines against Orlando City despite injury concerns | OneFootball

After the outstanding victory of Inter Miami against Orlando City, Lionel Messi became, once again, the center of attention.

The Argentine captain, whose availability was uncertain before the match, scored two goals to help the Herons take the lead against the Lions.

The 2022 World Cup winner with Argentina didn’t play against D.C United after picking up an injury against the LA Galaxy.

Reporters questioned whether he would be able to play 90 minutes, given his recent injury, but he ultimately defied doubts.

Despite the victory, Messi discussed his health status prior to the game.

Lionel Messi: “I’ve felt a bit uncomfortable.”

And that’s true. Two days before the encounter against Orlando City, you could watch the tapes, and all would be the same: Messi training apart from the group due to his injury.

During the press meeting, Javi Morales, Inter Miami’s assistant coach, said hours prior to the match: “We will see how they feel this afternoon. They trained fully with us, and we're really happy about that.”

Adding to the coach’s statement, Noah Allen talked about Messi and how he felt before the game against the Lions: “He seems to be in shape. Messi is a player who always has hunger, like a 21-year-old, and he will want to play. He looks good; he’s always in good condition. Even when he’s injured, he stays in the gym and trains hard.”

But none of that matters if the captain didn’t perform as everyone would expect him to, and Orlando won that game. To all the Messi haters, that’s not the case.

With a quiet first half, the Herons’ number ten was different once Allende and Segovia entered the game. Knowing he had two marks, Messi started delivering the ball and creating spaces behind the defenders.

Long story short, the Argentine forward had an incredible game. After the same one, a reporter asked him about his moments prior to this game.

The footballer with more trophies in the history of the sport said, “Today I wanted to be present. Since my return against the Galaxy, I’ve felt a bit uncomfortable. I prepared well for this match, knowing how important it was and how tough the opponent is. Earlier this season, we hadn’t managed to win the two previous matches against them.”