Inter Miami’s star player and captain, Lionel Messi, appeared to suffer a leg injury during a victorious match against the Philadelphia Union on Sunday night. The incident occurred in the 70th minute when Messi was seen grabbing his left thigh following a free kick. Shortly after, he requested a substitution and was replaced by Mateo Silvetti in the 73rd minute.

Despite the injury scare, Messi, who is 28 years old, managed to leave the field under his own power. This season, he has been a standout performer in Major League Soccer (MLS), leading the league with 20 goal contributions, comprising 12 goals and eight assists in 14 matches. Over his four seasons with Inter Miami, Messi has accumulated an impressive 107 goal contributions, including 62 goals and 45 assists in 67 games.

Coach’s Perspective and Upcoming World Cup

Inter Miami’s coach, Guillermo Hoyos, addressed the situation post-match, indicating that Messi’s departure was primarily due to fatigue rather than a severe injury. “As far as I know, we don’t have a report on that yet, but he really was fatigued. It was fatigue,” Hoyos stated. He emphasized the decision to avoid taking risks, especially with the heavy field conditions.

The timing of Messi’s injury is particularly significant as the MLS enters a six-week break to accommodate the FIFA World Cup, which begins on June 11. Messi is expected to join Argentina’s national team, the defending World Cup champions, although the final squad has yet to be announced. Argentina’s first match in the tournament is scheduled for June 16 against Algeria in Kansas City. Prior to the group stage, Argentina will play friendlies against Honduras on June 6 at Texas A&M’s Kyle Field and Iceland on June 9 at Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.