Lionel Messi’s debut season in Major League Soccer didn’t culminate in a Hollywood ending, as his Inter Miami team was eliminated from playoff contention following a 1-0 home defeat to FC Cincinnati on Saturday.
DC United, led by former Manchester United star Wayne Rooney, also missed the playoffs and announced Rooney’s departure by “mutual agreement.”
Messi made his return from injury as a substitute in the 55th minute, but Cincinnati secured the win with a goal from Argentine Alvaro Barreal.
However, Messi struggled to make a significant impact on the field, missing two free-kick opportunities.
Miami’s head coach, Gerardo Martino, acknowledged that Messi lacked game time and rhythm due to recent injuries, which reflected in his performance.
With other results working against Miami, Messi’s team found themselves second from the bottom in the Eastern Conference, seven points away from the last playoff spot, with just two games remaining.
Messi had played only 37 minutes for his club since September 3, having returned from international duty with Argentina last month. Miami faced difficulties without him, despite their earlier success in winning the Leagues Cup in August, where Messi shone and claimed his first trophy since joining the club in July.
The defeat against Cincinnati was Miami’s second consecutive loss, following a 4-1 defeat in Chicago.
Martino’s team managed just one win in their last six MLS games, and Messi had played in the only victory during that stretch.
After the Leagues Cup triumph in August, there was optimism about Miami adding more trophies to their season, but without Messi, they lost the US Open Cup final to Houston and dropped out of contention in the league.
In contrast to his expectations, Martino admitted that the season unfolded differently than he had anticipated when he took over just before Messi’s arrival.
Despite the challenges, he found solace in winning one of the three possible tournaments, acknowledging the competitiveness of the league.
Miami’s final two games were scheduled against Charlotte, with the last one on the road in October.
It remained uncertain whether Messi, who had been called up for Argentina’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers, would feature.
Meanwhile, in the Western Conference, the five-time MLS champions Los Angeles Galaxy missed the playoffs after a 5-2 defeat to Minnesota United, who saw Finnish striker Teemu Pukki score four second-half goals.
Former English coach Adrian Heath had been fired by Minnesota United just before this match.
Austin, who was defeated by Los Angeles FC in the Western Conference final last year, suffered another setback with a 4-2 loss at home to the champions, ending their playoff hopes.
Gabon international Denis Bouanga emerged as the league’s leading scorer with 19 goals after netting twice for LAFC.
US Open Cup winners Houston enhanced their chances of a top-four finish and home-field advantage in the first playoff round with a convincing 5-1 victory over Colorado, featuring Nelson Quinones’ brace.
