Lionel Messi returned from injury as a reserve and scored in the 84th minute to lead Inter Miami to a 3-1 victory over the defending Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup champions, Los Angeles Galaxy.

The iconic 38-year-old Argentinian striker was back on the field on Saturday for Miami after suffering what Inter coach Javier Mascherano had called a “minor muscle injury” – an apparent hamstring strain – in Inter’s Leagues Cup victory over Mexican side Necaxa on August 2.

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“It had been something very small,” Mascherano said of his injury after the match. “The three training sessions we had were good. The important thing is that the match ended. As the minutes went by, I saw him better. We have to see how he feels tomorrow.”

Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi, who missed a Leagues Cup win over Pumas UNAM and last weekend’s MLS loss at Orlando City, was on the bench as a reserve before entering in the second half, replacing Telasco Segovia.

“We had planned the match to give minutes to Leo [Messi]. The idea was to give him 45 minutes so that he can find sensations,” Mascherano said. “I didn’t see him after the game. Tomorrow, we’ll see what feelings he had.

“He’s an extraordinary player. I saw that he was clearly not 100 percent comfortable, but as the minutes went by, he was loosening up more and more. We will have to see how he ended with the fatigue.”

Jordi Alba scored for Miami in the 43rd minute, but Joseph Paintsil equalised for the Galaxy in the 59th minute.

Messi dominates late

Messi’s brilliant goal six minutes from full-time – a thunderous left foot strike fired from the edge of the penalty area that caromed off the bottom corner of the net – restored the lead for Miami.

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He then put the victory beyond doubt with a sensational 89th-minute assist to teammate Luis Suarez, who put the home side ahead 3-1.

Messi, the reigning MLS Most Valuable Player, has 19 goals and 10 assists in 19 MLS appearances for Miami this season.

He also has the Herons into the quarterfinals of the Leagues Cup, which they won in 2023, just after Messi’s arrival. Miami will play the Tigres in a Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday.

“He wants to play every single game,” Mascherano said. “You have to understand why Leo is Leo. He always wants to be on the pitch. He’s happy there. Sometimes, we try to explain him that we have to go slowly, but when he feels good, he knows himself like no one. In the end, we tried to give him some minutes today to start having good feelings for Wednesday.”

Inter Miami rank fourth in the MLS Eastern Conference, six points behind MLS leaders Philadelphia, but with three matches in hand.