Messi returns for Inter Miami in 2-2 draw with Columbus Crew

Lionel Messi returned to action for Inter Miami in a 2-2 draw with Columbus Crew, a reminder that one player still moves the scale of Major League Soccer both on the field and at the gate. Messi came on as a second-half substitute, and the result ended Miami’s six-game winning streak while extending its unbeaten run to seven regular-season matches.

The match turned on the same elements that have made Inter Miami the league’s most watched club. Luis Suárez and academy product Noah Allen scored for Miami, while Columbus answered with an own goal by Cademior and a late equalizer from Brais Méndez in his MLS debut. Miami finished the game at 11-2-5, with Columbus at 5-8-5, and the draw left Inter Miami’s title push intact even as it showed how quickly a game can change once Messi is back in the rotation.

Messi’s return had been managed carefully. ESPN said there was no date set for his comeback before the match, and coach Guillermo Hoyos was still weighing when the forward would be ready. Messi had returned to Inter Miami training 10 days after Argentina’s World Cup final defeat by Spain, and he was back working alongside Luis Suárez before being cleared to play.

That timeline mattered because the Messi effect reaches far beyond one result. His availability drives broadcast attention, sharpens opponent game plans and turns a regular-season MLS fixture into a marquee event. Columbus fans had been circling the matchup for days because of the possibility of seeing him in person, a sign of how much demand he creates wherever Inter Miami goes. The club’s commercial appeal, sponsorship value and stadium interest all rise and fall with his status.

Inter Miami has built itself around that reality. The club’s official recap framed the draw as another point in a seven-game unbeaten run, but the larger picture is that the franchise still leans heavily on Messi to keep both its competitive edge and its place in the American soccer conversation. When he is on the field, Inter Miami is not just another MLS side; it becomes the league’s central attraction.