On the morning of September 1, Messi did not participate in the match in Chicago. The Argentine star continued training in Miami and watched his sons play, while Inter Miami defeated Chicago Fire FC 4-1 away.

Coach Tata Martino decided at the last minute to keep Messi out of the Inter Miami squad to give the 37-year-old more time to recover from his injury, with the more crucial stages of the MLS Cup playoffs (late October) still ahead.

While Inter Miami played, Messi continued to train and attended his son’s U-15 match.

In Messi’s absence, Inter Miami’s attack, featuring veteran striker Luis Suarez in top form along with Diego Gomez and Julian Gressel, shone brightly, helping the team take revenge on Chicago Fire FC with a 4-1 victory, the same score by which they lost in the previous season’s encounter.

Inter Miami’s goals came from an own goal by Tobias Salquist in the 25th minute after a beautifully orchestrated attack involving Gomez and Suarez. Suarez then scored a double in the 46th and 65th minutes, giving Inter Miami a comfortable 3-0 lead over the hosts Chicago Fire FC. It wasn’t until the 82nd minute that Chicago Fire FC managed to pull one back with a goal by Georgios Koutsias. However, in the 90+3 minute of added time, substitute Robert Taylor sealed the emphatic 4-1 win for Inter Miami.

This marks Inter Miami’s fourth consecutive win in recent matches, helping the team, with David Beckham as chairman and co-owner, solidify their lead at the top of the Eastern Conference standings in MLS with 59 points after 27 games. This puts them on a clear path to winning the Supporters’ Shield (awarded to the team with the best regular season record in MLS), with only 7 rounds remaining.

**Inter Miami’s emphatic victory while Messi prepares for his return**

Meanwhile, Suarez’s double brings his tally to 16 goals in the 2024 MLS season, matching the record for most goals in a single season by Gonzalo Higuain (in 2022).

In their upcoming matches, Inter Miami is set to face Philadelphia Union at 6:30 AM on September 15 at home. This could be Messi’s first official match back since the Copa America final in mid-July.

To prepare for his return, Messi, despite being allowed to rest while Inter Miami played away, still went to the club’s training center to work out. After that, he went to the team’s secondary field to watch his son play for Inter Miami’s U-15 team as they began the new season. Images of Messi training alone and watching his son play were spotted by fans and posted on social media.

Messi appeared very relaxed and full of energy, indicating that his return to the pitch is imminent.