FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Lionel Messi wasted little time on Saturday night, quieting any concerns about his recent injury. 

Messi – the Inter Miami star and Argentine World Cup champion – entered as a substitute off the bench in the 55th minute, and found himself celebrating a goal score about two minutes later.

Messi took a pass from Luis Suárez, made a move against a defender, and sent a right boot into the lower left corner of the net in the 57

th minute of Inter Miami’s 2-1 win against the Philadelphia Union at Chase Stadium on Saturday night.

Messi stretched out his hands running toward fans before turning to celebrate with his teammates on the pitch, following his fifth goal in his sixth game of the year for Inter Miami.

Messi made his return from what Inter Miami announced as a low-grade adductor strain in his left thigh. He felt discomfort in Inter Miami’s match at Atlanta United on March 16, and he did not join Argentina for World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay on March 21 and Brazil on Tuesday. 

The 13-day layoff between games served Messi well: He was spry, speedy, aggressive and appeared in prime form again. 

Messi nearly scored a header in the 98th minute, shortly after nearly assisting Suarez on a missed attempt in the final minutes.

Saturday’s match began a five-match stretch for Inter Miami over 16 days, so Messi’s potential playing time could be limited as he further rounds into form.

Inter Miami will play LAFC in the first leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The club will host Toronto FC April 6, then host LAFC in the second leg of their matchup April 9.

Inter Miami will play on the road at the Chicago Fire April 13, ending the five-match stretch.

Saturday’s match also helped Inter Miami unseat the Union atop the MLS Eastern Conference. Philadelphia entered the game in first place, but sit in third behind Inter Miami and Chicago Fire after the game.

Inter Miami’s Robert Taylor scored a goal in 23rd minute to help his side take a 1-0 lead with Messi on the bench in the first half.

Taylor’s goal was fueled by an outlet pass from Sergio Busquets to Jordi Alba, running up the left side. Alba crossed the field to U.S. Olympic standout Benjamin Cremaschi, who assisted to Taylor in front of the net.

Philadelphia’s Dániel Gazdag scored in the 80

th minute to cut the deficit 2-1, but Inter Miami secured the victory.

Inter Miami’s Ian Fray defended a possible scoring chance in the 82nd minute, and goalie Drake Callender played his first game of the season, replacing Oscar Ustari in the 87th minute due to injury.

Check out these highlights of the Inter Miami-Philadelphia Union match from USA TODAY Sports.

Messi scores goal: Inter Miami 2, Philadelphia Union 0

Here’s the goal by Messi, about two minutes after he entered as a substitute.

How to watch Inter Miami vs. Philadelphia Union live stream?

The Inter Miami-Philadelphia Union match begins at 7:30 p.m. ET inside Chase Stadium, and will be available to live stream on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV. 

Is Messi in Inter Miami lineup tonight vs. Philadelphia? 

Messi is on the bench to begin Inter Miami’s match against Philadelphia, according to the club’s starting lineup.

Inter Miami vs. Philadelphia preview, prediction

Inter Miami 2, Philadelphia 1: Messi has both assists, one to Luis Suárez and another to an Inter Miami youngster in another victory for the Herons. 

Philadelphia may sit atop the 

MLS Eastern Conference with 12 points from a 4-1-0 (win-loss-draw) record while Inter Miami trails with 10 points in the standings, but Inter Miami has been unbeaten in eight matches across all competitions with seven wins and a draw. 

Messi has four goals and two assists in five appearances, while Suárez has four goals and four assists in eight appearances. Midfielder Telasco Segovia has three goals and an assist in four MLS appearances, and Fafa Picault has scored a goal in three appearances for Inter Miami. They will be without Tadeo Allende (injured), who has four goals in eight matches.

Union forward Tai Baribo leads with six goals, while defender Kai Wagner leads with four assists. 

Lionel Messi meets Novak Djokovic at Miami Open

How does Messi’s return impact Inter Miami’s upcoming schedule? 

Saturday begins a five-match stretch for Inter Miami over 16 days, so expect Messi’s potential playing time to be limited as he makes his return.

Inter Miami will play LAFC in the first leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The club will host Toronto FC April 6, then host LAFC in the second leg of their matchup April 9. Inter Miami will play on the road at the Chicago Fire April 13, ending the five-match stretch.

What is Lionel Messi’s injury? 

Inter Miami said Messi had an MRI, which revealed he has a “low-grade injury in the adductor muscle” on March 17, a day after he scored a goal to help Inter Miami win 2-1 at Atlanta. 

Before the Atlanta match, Messi scored a goal March 13 during his return from a three-game layoff to help Inter Miami advance past Jamaican side Cavalier FC in the Concacaf Champions Cup tournament. 

Messi did not play in the club’s 4-1 win against the Houston Dynamo March 2, the first leg against Cavalier March 6, or against Charlotte FC March 9. 

Messi predominately played in three matches during a six-day stretch from Feb. 19-25, and eight matches in a 40-day span from Jan. 18 to Feb. 14, which included five preseason matches to start the year.

Will Lionel Messi play in the 2026 World Cup? 

Messi has not yet declared whether he will play again for Argentina in World Cup 2026, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. He’s slated to participate in the FIFA Club World Cup this summer with Inter Miami during a break in the 2025 MLS season.