Lionel Messi’s international career is over. Now comes the part that Inter Miami fans have been waiting for: seeing what the 39-year-old superstar can do with his full attention back on club soccer.
Messi announced his retirement from Argentina duty on Aug. 31, bringing an emotional end to a career that included winning the 2022 World Cup, two Copa América titles and a run to the 2026 World Cup final. Just two days earlier, he had delivered one of his best performances of the MLS season, scoring four goals and adding an assist as Inter Miami demolished CF Montréal 7-1.
Now Messi and Inter Miami return to MLS action Saturday night when Atlanta United visit Nu Stadium, giving the club’s biggest star his first chance to respond on the field since closing the international chapter of his career.
Messi Has Given Inter Miami a Much-Needed Lift
The timing could hardly be better for Inter Miami. Before the Montréal game, the Herons had gone five matches without a victory, but Messi quickly reminded everyone what he can still do. He scored twice before halftime and added two more after the break, while also setting up Luis Suárez as Miami scored six unanswered goals to turn a 1-1 match into a rout. The performance moved Messi to 18 MLS goals for the season and put him back at the center of the Golden Boot race.
That win also matters beyond Messi’s numbers. Inter Miami entered the weekend sitting near the top of the Eastern Conference, but the club’s recent stretch had raised questions about whether the defending MLS Cup champions were losing momentum. Messi’s performance against Montréal provided a pretty convincing answer. With Luis Suárez still providing a dangerous option alongside him, and Rodrigo De Paul and Casemiro giving Miami considerable experience in midfield, the Herons suddenly look much more dangerous if their biggest stars are healthy and in form.
Atlanta United Have Plenty to Worry About
Atlanta arrive in Miami near the bottom of the Eastern Conference and will have to find a way to contain a player who has just scored four goals in a single MLS match. Alexey Miranchuk remains Atlanta’s leading scorer, while Miguel Almirón has been one of the team’s most productive creators, leading the club in assists in the current season. That gives Atlanta enough attacking quality to punish Miami if the hosts become too aggressive, but they will likely need a disciplined defensive performance first.
For Messi, however, Saturday represents something more than another regular-season game. His decision to walk away from Argentina came after more than two decades with the national team, 207 appearances and 125 goals, and followed a World Cup final that could have been his perfect international farewell. Instead, he will now devote the remainder of his career to Inter Miami. After the emotion of the past week, there may be no better way for Messi to begin that next chapter than by doing what he has done so many times before: impressing the crowd and putting the ball in the net.
Messi Expected in Inter Miami Starting XI vs. Atlanta After Argentina Farewell