Limping and wearing a special boot after his ankle injury in the Copa America final, Lionel Messi was present at the match between Inter Miami and Chicago Fire. There, from the hands of Jorge Mas, president of the Garzas, he received a special gift and was honored for his 45 titles, an achievement that positions him as the most successful player of all time.
The prelude to the Garzas’ MLS match – the second that La Pulga has missed due to injury since the Copa América final – was dressed up to welcome Messi and pay tribute to him. Thus, when the Rosario native entered the field, he did so in front of a setting that included a special carpet with the number 45 in the center of the field and a group of kids around him, holding a sign for each title he won throughout his career.
After greeting the crowd, the Argentinean player stood in the middle of the field with Jorge Mas, president of the Florida club, to watch a special video in tribute to his career. Mas also gave him a special picture with the number 45 made up of different photos of him, wearing the shirts of Inter Miami, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and the Argentine National Team.
After the injury that forced him to leave the field against Colombia in the Copa America final, it was confirmed that Lionel Messi suffered a “ligament injury in his right ankle.” Although it did not require surgery, the truth is that it will keep him out of action for a while.
Initially, Inter Miami did not give a time frame regarding his recovery and indicated that his return “will depend on periodic evaluations and the progress of his recovery.” The truth is that the captain of Las Garzas and the Argentine National Team has already missed two MLS games and will probably not be available for the next two, against Puebla and Tigres, for the Leagues Cup.