Football superstar Lionel Messi has resumed practice with Inter Miami, just ten days after Argentina’s World Cup campaign ended in a 1-0 loss to Spain in the final. The two-time defending MLS MVP missed the first two matches for Inter Miami following the World Cup break, which the team won, maintaining an impressive winning streak of six matches. Messi opted out of participating in a friendly MLS match against Liga MX All-Stars to spend time with his father, Jorge, who is battling an undisclosed illness during the World Cup.

This World Cup marked Messi’s record sixth appearance, during which he scored eight goals and provided four assists, narrowly missing the chance to lead Argentina to consecutive World Cup victories—a feat last achieved by Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Notably, Messi became the first player to surpass Miroslav Klose’s record for total World Cup goals, with 17. However, French striker Kylian Mbappé ended the tournament with 22 goals, outperforming Messi.

Inter Miami currently stands at 11 wins, 2 draws, and 4 losses (37 points), ranking just two points behind Nashville SC in the Eastern Conference standings. As of now, it remains uncertain whether Messi will participate in the upcoming match against the Columbus Crew. Additionally, there has been speculation that Messi might retire from international football and potentially from club play, following a distinguished career that includes eight Ballon d’Or awards, recognizing him as the best player in the world during those years.