# Ten Days After MetLife Heartbreak, Lionel Messi’s Return Inspires Inter Miami but Fails to Subdue Columbus

**By Tomás Ferreira**  \nPublished August 3, 2026  \nUpdated September 9, 2026

> Thirteen days after a grueling 120-minute World Cup final defeat, Lionel Messi stepped back onto the pitch for Inter Miami, sparking a vibrant second-half display in a 2-2 draw against the Columbus Crew.

When Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul reported back to Inter Miami training just days after Argentina’s draining extra-time defeat to Spain in the World Cup final, head coach Guillermo Hoyos admitted he was taken aback. Though FIFA guidelines and MLS agreements allowed both players up to 21 days of restorative leave—and excused them from the MLS All-Star Game without penalty—Messi chose to return to the club's training grounds on Wednesday, with De Paul following on Friday.

That extraordinary commitment translated into action on a soggy Saturday night at Nu Stadium. While De Paul slotted straight into Hoyos’s starting XI, Messi materialized off the bench in the 53rd minute to a rousing ovation, replacing Dániel Pintér. The 39-year-old superstar immediately injected a frantic electricity into the attack, recording four shots and five touches in the opposition penalty area—both game-high marks—while operating with the buzzing, relentless creativity that defined his historic run in North America and New Jersey.

Yet, despite Messi’s dynamic cameo and another masterclass from Luis Suárez, Inter Miami surrendered a late lead, settling for a 2-2 draw against the Columbus Crew that snapped a club-record six-game winning streak and kept the Herons two points behind Nashville SC in the Eastern Conference and Supporters’ Shield standings.

## Suárez’s Ageless Brilliance and Tactical Realignment

Before Messi’s introduction, the first half belonged entirely to Luis Suárez. Approaching his 40th birthday, the Uruguayan striker continued a devastating run of form, notching his seventh goal in his last four matches in the 16th minute. Pressured high up the pitch by midfielder Yannick Bright, the Crew surrendered possession, and Suárez did not hesitate, launching a high-arching strike from nearly 40 yards out that sailed over an out-of-position Patrick Schulte.

*It was Suárez’s seventh goal in the past four games.*

Suárez was not finished. After Columbus leveled through an unfortunate 34th-minute own goal by debutant Casemiro—who slid to cut out a cross only to redirect it into his own net—Suárez conjured a decisive response on the stroke of halftime. Receiving a clever pass from De Paul, the veteran striker curled a precise cross to the back post, allowing defender Noah Allen to head home and push Miami ahead 2-1.

The tactical configuration underpinning this display offered a fascinating glimpse into Hoyos’s squad construction. The presence of Casemiro anchoring the deep midfield allowed De Paul greater license to advance into advanced spaces, dovetailing seamlessly with Pintér and feeding the frontline. Once Messi entered, however, the structure shifted fundamentally: De Paul dropped into a more conservative defensive pairing alongside Casemiro to compensate for Messi’s lack of defensive tracking.

## The Defensive Fragility and Bench Impact

For all of Miami’s attacking fluency—highlighted by Messi’s 56th-minute near-miss where he collected a Suárez pass and flashed a left-footed drive narrowly wide of the near post—defensive lapses continue to plague the squad. Casemiro’s own goal marked Miami’s second defensive redirection into their own net in three games. Coupled with a depleted roster missing the concussed Germán Berterame, knee-surgery patient Tadeo Allende, suspended midfielders Telasco Segovia and Ian Fray, and calf-strain recoveries for Maxi Falcon and Gonzalo Lujan, Miami’s structural depth was stretched to its absolute limit.

Columbus punished that thin margin for error in the 84th minute. A late free-kick from Brais Méndez bypassed the Miami backline to find the back of the net, sealing a 2-2 stalemate that left Hoyos lamenting a game that slipped away in the final moments.

> Guillermo Hoyos“They are very important to us, both from a footballing standpoint and a human perspective because they are true gentlemen in the game and make a difference for us on and off the field.”

## Forward Implications and Leagues Cup Horizon

The immediate challenge for Inter Miami centers on load management and tactical equilibrium. Integrating Messi, Suárez, De Paul, and Casemiro into a single cohesive unit while maintaining defensive stability requires delicate handling from the coaching staff, particularly with a grueling August fixture list featuring seven matches. Furthermore, sparse crowds at Nu Stadium point to underlying questions regarding local engagement and fixture fatigue as the club pivots away from the league table.

With the domestic race temporarily paused, Miami’s attention shifts immediately to the Leagues Cup. The Herons begin their defense of the cross-border tournament—which they famously captured in 2023—by hosting Atlético de San Luis at Nu Stadium, followed fixtures against Monterrey and León. Whether Messi moves from a bench spark back into the starting lineup for the midweek cup opener will test Hoyos’s risk tolerance as the club chases silverware on multiple fronts.

## Sources

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- [Lizzy Becherano](https://global.espn.com/football/story/_/id/49507355/lionel-messi-inter-miami-lineup-columbus-crew-mls-world-cup) — original