Messi returns to Inter Miami training

Lionel Messi has returned to training with Major League Soccer (MLS) side Inter Miami on Wednesday, 10 days after Argentina’s defeat to Spain in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final.

The club shared a video on social media on Wednesday showing the Argentine captain taking to the training pitch alongside teammate Luis Suarez, marking his first appearance since the World Cup concluded.

Messi had spent the past week in his hometown of Rosario with his family following Argentina’s 1-0 defeat to Spain in the final on July 19th in New Jersey.

The 39-year-old admitted the disappointment of missing out on a second consecutive World Cup title was still weighing heavily on him.

“The pain is immense, and it’s going to take a long time for this wound to heal,” the Argentine captain wrote on social media the day after the final.

Messi has yet to confirm whether he intends to continue his international career with Argentina after leading the reigning world champions in their unsuccessful title defence.

During his absence, Inter Miami head coach Guillermo Hoyos, a fellow Argentine and long-time friend of Messi, stressed there was no rush for either the forward or new signing Rodrigo De Paul to return following their World Cup commitments.

“They need the time,” Hoyos said last week. “A World Cup is a massive undertaking; there is physical and mental exhaustion. They deserve the space.”

Both Messi and De Paul were granted permission by MLS to miss Wednesday’s All-Star Game in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Although participation in the annual showcase is generally compulsory unless players are injured, the league approved their absence because of the short recovery period following the World Cup.

Messi missed last year’s All-Star Game without exemption and received a one-match suspension.
The club are scheduled to host Columbus Crew on Saturday before opening their Leagues Cup campaign against Mexican side San Luis next Wednesday.