MIAMI (AP) — Lionel Messi headed into the World Cup break a bit earlier than planned, and now it’ll be Argentina waiting to see if there’s an injury to worry about.
Messi — who almost never gets subbed out of matches — left in the 73rd minute, meaning he was long gone before Luis Suárez’s third goal of the night helped lift the defending MLS champions past the last-place Philadelphia Union 6-4 on Sunday night.
No preliminary diagnosis of any issue for Messi was immediately announced. Messi has dealt with hamstring issues at least two other times during his three-year stint with Inter Miami.
In past instances of possible soft tissue injuries, the team has ordered an MRI exam relatively quickly to determine severity. There was no indication in this case from the club that any tests on Messi were scheduled; Mateo Silvetti, the Argentine who replaced Messi on Sunday night, said he had no idea what had happened.
“I tried to see how he was doing. … I have the same doubt as everyone else,” Silvetti said in Spanish after the match.
Messi had two assists and Germán Berterame scored twice during a record-setting first half for Inter Miami. But Messi basically took himself out of play in the 71st minute and reached toward his left hamstring at least once, then didn’t even venture toward the Inter Miami bench when he could be subbed out.
Messi was replaced by Silvetti, then left immediately through the tunnel connecting the field with the team’s locker room. Messi was walking under his own power, albeit slowly, and without any team medical personnel with him.
Suárez got the go-ahead goal in the 81st minute. Rodrigo De Paul, on his birthday, scored in stoppage time to seal the win for Inter Miami.
Heavy rain began falling early in the second half, causing some players to seem to slip on the turf. It wasn’t clear if Messi’s departure was precautionary or not, and it didn’t seem like he took any major missteps during the worst of the rain.
Messi has said in the past that he would only play in the World Cup if healthy. Argentina starts group stage play on June 16.
Milan Iloski had a first-half hat trick — including two penalty kicks — and Bruno Damiani also scored for Union, which was up 2-0 only 10 minutes into the match. That start set the stage for the teams to be tied at 4-4 at the half.
The eight goals by halftime was an MLS record, the league said.
Inter Miami (9-2-4, 31 points) enters the break second in the Eastern Conference, two points behind Nashville (10-1-3, 33 points). Inter Miami is also fourth in the Supporters’ Shield standings — a trophy that Philadelphia won last season.
The Union won’t be winning that this season. Not even close.
They’re at the bottom of the league, a stunning first-to-worst collapse and head into the break with seven points — at 1-10-4.
“It’s beautiful, it’s fun to be a part of the game, it’s fun to sing a national anthem and obviously to see Messi and all these greats so close to me, it’s an honor,” said Grammy-nominated and Latin Grammy-winning singer and Miami resident Luis Fonsi, who performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” pregame. “I’m a fan and I’m enjoying every bit of it.”
He was asked what it’s like to share the field with Messi.
“He’s a lot more known than me — times a million,” Fonsi said.
Messi has already appeared in five World Cups, winning the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player twice — first in 2014, then again in 2022 when he led Argentina to the title. That award has been given out only since 1982, but he is the lone player to win it twice.
Argentina is in Group J for the World Cup. Its group stage matches: Algeria, at Kansas City, on June 16; Austria, at Arlington, Texas, on June 22; and Jordan, back in Arlington, on June 27.
If Argentina wins that group — and the defending champions would be heavily favored to do so — then Messi would play a Round of 32 match in Miami Gardens on July 3. The only other way for Messi to play in South Florida during the tournament would be if Argentina is in the third-place match on July 18.
Of course, all that is contingent on whether Messi plays. And that would now seem to be in at least some question.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer
