An Inter Miami team missing the suspended Lionel Messi missed the chance to gain ground on Eastern Conference leaders FC Cincinnati after being held to a 0-0 draw in Major League Soccer on Saturday.
Lionel Messi was left disappointed after he and his Inter Miami teammate Jordi Alba were suspended for skipping Major League Soccer’s (MLS) All-Star Game last Wednesday, and Inter Miami co-owner fears the decision may affect their efforts to keep the World Cup winner at the club beyond this year.
Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber refused to be drawn on whether the league planned to sanction Lionel Messi after the Inter Miami and Argentina superstar was a late withdrawal from Wednesday's All-Star game.
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami team-mate Jordi Alba could face a suspension after withdrawing from Major League Soccer's All-Star game, multiple US media reports said on Wednesday.
Messi increased his total goals in MLS games to 18 this season and has contributed on 27 scores.
Four days after he became the first player ever to score multiple goals in four straight MLS matches, Messi delivered his fifth brace in five MLS games.
The 38-year-old Argentine star has scored two goals in each of his last four MLS games to become the first MLS player to score multiple goals in four straight games.
Miami were playing their first MLS game in more than a month. They had advanced past the first phase of the Club World Cup but fell 4-0 to Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16 last week.
The former France striker told reporters he believed MLS was "underrated" by the rest of the world.
Miami started with all their big-name stars, including Lionel Messi, on the bench but the Argentine was introduced in the 61st minute to the delight of many in the Toronto crowd.
Expecting massive fan interest, MLS announced Thursday that the opener will be livestreamed for free on Apple TV and aired as it happens on the gargantuan 25,000-square-foot video screen at Times Square in New York.
Inter Miami's charge towards Major League Soccer's single-season points record suffered a setback on Saturday after a last-gasp injury-time equalizer from James Sands snatched a 1-1 draw for New York City FC against the Eastern Conference leaders.
Lionel Messi is set to return to action with his club Inter Miami on Saturday after spending over two months out with an ankle injury, Miami coach Gerardo Martino said on Friday.
Luis Suarez struck twice as ten-man Inter Miami became the first team to book their place in this season's Major League Soccer playoffs after beating Cincinnati 2-0 at Chase Stadium on Saturday.
Lionel Messi will miss Inter Miami's next two Major League Soccer matches after injuring his right ankle in Argentina's Copa America final triumph, Miami coach Gerardo Martino said Tuesday.
The league's top talents will face the Mexican League All-Stars on July 24 at Columbus, Ohio.
Inter Miami rested Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez but still managed to extend their unbeaten run in Major League Soccer to 10 games with a hard fought 2-1 win at the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday.
Messi, 36, has become the face of MLS since joining Miami last July, but he has yet to make an appearance in Vancouver.
Lionel Messi's record $20.45 million annual salary from Inter Miami makes him by far the best paid player in Major League Soccer but also puts him ahead of the entire squads of 25 of the league's clubs, according to data released by the MLS Players Association on Thursday.
