Messi returns from injury, scores late stunner to lift Inter Miami past LA Galaxy

Lionel Messi came back from a brief injury spell and reminded everyone why he’s still the difference-maker. The 38-year-old superstar came off the bench on Saturday and scored in the 84th minute, leading Inter Miami to a 3-1 win over defending MLS Cup champions LA Galaxy.

Messi had been sidelined with what coach Javier Mascherano called a “minor muscle injury,” picked up during Miami’s Leagues Cup win over Necaxa on August 2. He missed games against Pumas UNAM and Orlando City before returning here as a second-half substitute.

“It was something very small,” Mascherano said after the match. “We planned for him to get about 45 minutes just to find rhythm again. He’s extraordinary, and even though he wasn’t 100 percent at first, you could see him getting looser as the game went on.”

Jordi Alba put Miami ahead in the 43rd minute, but Joseph Paintsil equalized for the Galaxy in the 59th. Then Messi took over.

His thunderous left-foot strike from the edge of the box slammed into the bottom corner in the 84th minute to restore Miami’s lead. Just five minutes later, he set up Luis Suárez for a third goal that sealed the win.

Messi, the reigning MLS MVP, now has 19 goals and 10 assists in just 19 league appearances this season. Miami also sit in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals, where they’ll face Tigres on Wednesday, a competition they won last year shortly after Messi arrived.

Inter Miami are currently fourth in the Eastern Conference, six points behind leaders Philadelphia but with three games in hand.