This was Lionel Messi’s return to Inter Miami training after the 2026 World Cup final

Home Sport This was Lionel Messi’s return to Inter Miami training after the 2026 World Cup final
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July 30, 2026July 30, 2026By Mario Vásquez
This was Lionel Messi’s return to Inter Miami training after the 2026 World Cup final

Lionel Messi returned to training this Wednesday Inter Miami, after almost ten days of vacation in Argentina after the conclusion of the World Cup, a period in which he missed his team’s last two games.

Inter Miami published a photograph of Messi, with a mate in his hand, upon his arrival to training at the club’s facilities in Fort Lauderdale, a city located north of Miami.

The forward had not trained with Inter Miami since May, when the Major League Soccer (MLS) break for the World Cup began and he joined the Argentine national team’s training camp.

After losing the final against Spain (1-0), on July 19, Messi and his Inter Miami teammate, Rodrigo De Paul, traveled to Argentina separately from the rest of the squad to enjoy a few days of rest.

Although the club published an image of Messi, it did not confirm whether De Paul also rejoined the team. They both got lost Inter Miami’s last games, which ended with victories over the Chicago Fire (3-2) and CF Montréal (0-1). They could reappear this Saturday against the Columbus Crew or next August 5, in the team’s debut in the Leagues Cup, against Atlético de San Luis.

In addition, Messi and De Paul had been summoned to participate in the All-Star Game 2026, which pits figures from the MLS and Liga MX against each other and takes place this Wednesday in CharlotteNorth Carolina. However, both were exempt so they could rest after the World Cup.

FIFPRO, the international union of professional footballers, recommends that players have 21 days of rest after each season, although it is unclear if that recommendation applies to MLS, whose schedule was already in place before the World Cup.

A day after the defeat against Spain, Messi, 39, wrote on Instagram that the pain from the defeat was “very great” and that “it is going to be difficult for this wound to close.”

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