Lionel Messi marked his return to action with Inter Miami, coming on as a substitute in Sunday morning’s MLS match against Los Angeles Galaxy.
The Argentine international has missed his American club’s matches for the past two weeks after suffering a hamstring injury. Although he was expected to remain sidelined until after the international break, his recovery has progressed more quickly.
Coach Javier Mascherano brought Messi on in the second half with the score tied at 1-1. In the 83rd minute, Messi scored his team’s second goal and then assisted Luis Suarez’s third.
Messi reached 101 goals from outside the penalty area, excluding free kicks, becoming the first player in history to achieve this feat, surpassing his nearest rival by 30 goals.
Magical Messi 🪄
Number 19 on the year. pic.twitter.com/nO1WNoq4cy
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 17, 2025
Messi reached his 19th goal this season with Inter Miami in 19 appearances for his MLS team, in addition to 10 assists.
The 37-year-old became the second-fastest player in MLS history to reach 40 goals in just 44 games, behind Venezuelan Josef Martinez, who scored the same number of goals in 42 games.
With this win, Inter Miami climbed to fifth place in the Eastern Conference with 45 points, seven points behind leaders Cincinnati, with Mascherano’s side having three games less.
