Lionel Messi’s comeback to the field was cut short after he was subbed out in the 37th minute of Inter Miami’s match against Toronto FC on Wednesday at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Lionel Messi appeared to be in pain just a few minutes after teammate Jordi Alba was pulled out with an apparent injury. He then removed his captain’s armband and passed it to Deandre Yedlin before quitting the game.

Messi returned to the bench and leaned back in his chair, clearly frustrated. He later headed to the locker room with eight minutes of first-half stoppage time remaining.

“They had to leave. “We’ll evaluate them as the days go by,” Inter Miami head coach Tata Martino remarked during halftime on the Apple TV broadcast when questioned about Messi and Alba.

Inter Miami eventually defeated Toronto FC 4-0.

Messi made his first appearance since September 7, when he assisted Argentina’s victory over Ecuador in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match.

Last weekend’s MLS regular season encounter versus Atlanta United was missed by Messi.

According to a club source, the decision to rest the Argentine World Cup winner was taken due to the number of games he has played since joining the club in July. According to the source, the turf field at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium played no impact in the decision.

Inter Miami’s next game is against Orlando City SC on Sunday. On September 27, the club will face Houston Dynamo FC in the US Open Cup final.