On the night of May 12, a regular MLS championship match took place in Canada between Montreal Impact and Inter Miami, with the Herons winning 3-2.
Argentinian forward and captain of Inter Miami Lionel Messi played the full 90 minutes on the field but didn’t make any significant contributions, thus interrupting his 11-match scoring streak.
During the match Messi suffered a minor injury and had to seek medical assistance, after which the referees did not allow Messi to return to the field for a long time.
It turns out that according to the new MLS rules, when a player seeks medical attention, he must leave the field of play and stay off the field for at least two minutes.
While waiting on the sidelines, Messi turned to the cameras and expressed his dissatisfaction, saying that things will be bad with such innovations.
It is worth noting that Messi has been playing for Inter Miami since the summer of 2023. In 25 matches played for the American team, the Argentinian forward has scored 23 goals and provided 16 assists. His contract with the Pink Team is valid until mid-2025. The Transfermarkt website estimates the player at 30 million euros.
Earlier, Inter Miami head coach Gerardo Martino commented on Messi's six assists in a recent MLS match against the New York Red Bulls.
Messi also became the first player in MLS history to make five assists in one game.