LOS ANGELES — After LAFC scored their third goal on Saturday night, the excitement among the crowd of over 75,600 at the LA Coliseum was palpable. A fan wearing an Argentina jersey rushed onto the field, making a beeline for Inter Miami star Lionel Messi.
This scene often accompanies events featuring the 2022 World Cup champion; however, the celebratory music played was not for him, as Miami found themselves down 3-0. In Messi’s first official match of 2026 with the defending MLS Cup champions, the Hollywood script being crafted for him during another World Cup year took an unexpected turn.
Prior to Saturday’s highlight matchup against Son Heung-min‘s LAFC, concerns emerged about Messi’s participation following a hamstring injury he sustained during a preseason friendly in February.
At 38, it was reasonable to be apprehensive not just about his MLS season start but also about potential implications for this summer’s World Cup. Messi has not fully committed to participating in the tournament and has acknowledged fitness as a crucial factor.
“I would like to be there. To feel well and to be an important part of helping my national team, if I am there,” Messi explained in October. “I will assess that daily during preseason with Inter [Miami] to see if I can truly be 100%. I’m really eager because it’s the World Cup.”
Despite Miami head coach Javier Mascherano confirming on Friday that the eight-time Ballon d’Or recipient had been “training at the same level as the rest of the team all week,” Messi appeared to struggle against LAFC.
In the opening 10 minutes, Messi’s touch was noticeably off, and his passing wasn’t up to his usual standard. While his distribution did improve somewhat, he was unfortunate not to register an assist, but his shooting was disappointing—failing to hit the target on any occasions.
Messi was not alone in his struggles. Whether it was a matter of adapting to new striker Germán Berterame‘s presence or simply an off-day, Miami failed to gain any rhythm until LAFC scored first, with a goal from David Martínez, assisted by Son.
The 33-year-old South Korean international has his own ambitions for the World Cup, especially after leaving Tottenham Hotspur last year. Notably, the LAFC fans, many sporting jerseys with Son’s name, significantly outnumbered the supporters wearing Miami’s pink kit, which is meant to honor one of the greatest soccer players of all time.
Messi did not receive an overwhelming applause when he touched the ball, and when he fell to the ground late in the match without a whistle from the referee, a wave of boos echoed from the stands.
“No, no, no, I didn’t see anything,” Mascherano remarked post-match when asked if Messi appeared frustrated with the officiating or the game’s outcome. “To be honest, after the match, I went straight to the locker room.”
After late goals from Denis Bouanga and Nathan Ordaz sealed Miami’s fate with a 3-0 defeat, Messi quickly swapped jerseys with Bouanga post-match and exited the field without delay.
So, is it too soon to be concerned about Messi’s performance in Miami following a single loss?
“The reality is they beat us fairly and squarely, that’s the truth,” Mascherano said afterward. “It’s often challenging to make sense of a 3-0 loss, but my initial analysis suggests the outcome might be somewhat misleading. There wasn’t much difference in the play as it unfurled.
“As coaches, we need to evaluate the play, not just the score, because if we only focus on the result, our decisions will be dictated by whether we win or lose. I believe we saw elements of the style of play we want, which we still need to work on.”
Messi certainly needs to step up; however, it’s essential to remember this is just the first match of the year. Mascherano noted that although Messi is fit enough to return to full training, he has only recently recovered from his hamstring injury, making slightly off performances somewhat understandable.
Doubting Messi’s abilities is a fool’s errand. While Saturday’s display wasn’t his best, he did produce several threatening passes that should have led to at least one Miami goal and occasionally delivered strong forward runs.
It was a solid performance, but “solid” isn’t the standard expected from Messi, especially in a World Cup year. While it’s premature to draw any sweeping conclusions, if things don’t improve in the coming weeks, questions will surely arise.
“He will decide, and we will support whatever he decides,” Argentina’s manager Lionel Scaloni remarked in December regarding Messi’s potential World Cup participation. “For now, everything is progressing well, but six months is a long time. There’s still time.”
With four months remaining, time is starting to run out.