During the night of Wednesday, July 22, the Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez became the protagonist of the reboot of the Major League Soccer (MLS) by scoring two decisive goals for the Inter Miami in the 3-2 victory against Chicago Fire at the Nu Stadium, in Florida, in the match corresponding to date 16 of the regular phase.
Luis Suárez assumed the offensive leadership of the team in the absence of Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paulwho received days of rest after playing in the World Cup final, so the Uruguayan attacker, 39 yearsscored eight goals and one assist in 12 games of the season, thus consolidating his validity in international soccer.
Faced with this scenario, at the end of the match, Luis Suárez referred to the absence of Lionel Messi and the Uruguayan expressed his admiration and respect for the performance of his friend: “It is admirable, one more demonstration of the ambition it has to be the best player in the worldplaying until the last game and leaving everything,” he said.
“He left his team up there. He has zero reproaches against himself for what he showed. I think he is a example for everyone. He could have been at home and he went with that desire to want to win, but unfortunately he couldn’t,” Luis Suárez stressed regarding Lionel Messi’s time at the World Cup, and highlighted his dedication and professionalism.
What about Lionel Messi?
The technical director of Inter Miami, the Argentine Guillermo Hoyossaid during the morning of this Thursday, July 23, that a date has not been defined for the reinstatement of Lionel Messiwho began a rest period in Argentina after the final of the World Cup 2026in which they were defeated 1-0 against the team of Spain.
The Argentine Flea arrived last Wednesday, July 22, in the city of Rosary to rest with his family after the painful defeat in the World Cup final. For this reason, Inter Miami will not have the veteran captain of the Albiceleste in their next MLS matches, a competition in which they occupy second position.
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“There is no return date. We trust in Messi and we want a lot. He will return when he is very well in all aspects, because everything has been very hard. If I’m not mistaken, they were 50 days of great strainmany games. A World Cup is something tremendous and there is physical and mental exhaustion, and they deserve those spaces,” said Hoyos.
“Lionel needs the time. We wait for him when he can and is in the conditions to be here,” added the Argentine coach of the Heronsteam that will face CF Montreal next Saturday, July 25, at Columbus Crew on Saturday, August 1 and Atlético de San Luis on Wednesday, August 5, without the help of Messi.
Messi and the MLS All-Star Game
Lionel Messi is one of the great figures of Major League Soccer, where he defends Inter Miami. For this reason, the Argentine star was summoned for the All-Star Gamein which players from Liga MX and MLS will face each other. However, it is unlikely that the world runner-up will compete in the exhibition match.
La Pulga would be one of the great absentees in this meeting and the reason for his absence is that he would not have concluded his vacationbecause the MLS recommends that every player who has played in the World Cup take 21 days rest after their participation, and the All-Star Game will be played on Wednesday, July 29.