18 days before 2026 World Cup with Argentina, Lionel Messi exited the Inter Miami vs Philadelphia Union game with an injury. Inter Miami hosted Philadelphia Union on Sunday at Nu Stadium in what was the club’s final MLS appearance before players break away for World Cup training camps. The occasion was overshadowed when Lionel Messi was forced off the field with a muscle injury.
The match got off to a nightmare start for the hosts, with Milan Iloski netting a brace inside the opening ten minutes. Messi responded by setting up Germán Berterame to cut the deficit in the 13th minute, before Bruno Damiani added a third for the visitors after Dayne St. Clair was unable to hold a shot in the 20th, though Inter Miami continued to battle back.
Ian Fray delivered a pinpoint cross for Luis Suárez to reduce it to 2-3 with an acrobatic finish in the 29th, and Messi then turned a loose ball into another assist for Berterame to level in the 41st. Suárez completed his brace from a rebound off a Rodrigo De Paul effort in the 44th, only for Iloski to restore Philadelphia’s lead from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time to complete a stunning hat-trick.
After an extraordinary 4-4 first half, Inter Miami pushed for a winner but could not convert their chances, before the afternoon took a worrying turn. Messi grabbed at his left hamstring in the 73rd minute and signaled to the bench, leaving the field in visible discomfort to be replaced by Mateo Silvetti.
🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨BREAKING: Leo Messi asked for substitution and he walks straight into the locker room 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/3uJ1BUZjy7— Inter Miami News Hub (@Intermiamicfhub) May 25, 2026
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