Less than a month before the 2026 World Cup, Argentina is holding its breath after Lionel Messi was forced off during Inter Miami’s wild 6-4 win over the Philadelphia Union. The 38-year-old star was substituted in the 73rd minute, clutching his left leg before walking straight to the locker room.
The incident came shortly after Messi stepped up to take a free kick. Broadcast cameras showed the Inter Miami captain holding the upper part of his left thigh and signaling to the bench that he needed to come off. Mateo Silvetti replaced him.
Despite the concern, Messi left the pitch on his own and did not require assistance on his way to the locker room.
Inter Miami coach Guillermo Hoyos tried to calm fears after the match, saying there was no indication at this stage of a serious injury. “He was simply fatigued,” Hoyos said. “It was load and fatigue. The field conditions were difficult because of the rain, and we didn’t want to take any risks.”
Still, Messi being substituted is highly unusual. The Argentine star has played the full 90 minutes in nearly all of his matches for Inter Miami this season, and was rarely taken off last year as he led the club to an MLS title.
The timing is what makes the concern especially acute. Argentina opens its World Cup title defense in 23 days against Algeria in Kansas City, after warm-up matches against Honduras and Iceland.
Messi’s injury scare overshadowed one of the most dramatic MLS matches of the season. Philadelphia raced to a 2-0 lead through Milan Iloski before Germán Berterame pulled one back after an assist from Messi.
Philadelphia restored its two-goal lead, but Inter Miami mounted a stunning comeback, with Luis Suárez and Berterame scoring to turn it into a 4-3 game.
Iloski completed his hat trick from the penalty spot after a VAR review, sending the teams into halftime tied 4-4, the highest-scoring half in MLS history.
Heavy rain slowed the pace after the break, but Miami found a way to finish the job after Messi’s exit. Suárez completed his hat trick in the 81st minute from another Berterame assist, and Rodrigo De Paul sealed the win with Miami’s sixth goal.