Fort Lauderdale, Aug. 2 (V7N) – Lionel Messi made his first appearance since the FIFA World Cup final, but Inter Miami were unable to celebrate his return with a victory, settling for a 2-2 draw against Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer (MLS).
The match was played at Inter Miami's home ground in the early hours of Sunday (Aug. 2, Bangladesh time).
The appearance marked Messi's return to professional football 13 days after Argentina's defeat in the FIFA World Cup final.
The Argentine captain started the match on the bench and entered the field in the eighth minute of the second half to a warm reception from the home crowd.
Inter Miami were leading 2-1 when Messi came on. Veteran striker Luis Suárez scored one of the hosts' goals, while the other came through an own goal by Brazilian midfielder Casemiro on his home debut.
Columbus Crew fought back late in the match, scoring the equaliser in the 84th minute to secure a 2-2 draw.
There were no further goals, and both teams shared the points.
Another Argentine international, Rodrigo De Paul, also returned to action for Inter Miami in the match.
Inter Miami will next face St. Louis on Tuesday (Aug. 6), with kickoff scheduled for 5:30 a.m. Bangladesh time.
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