Inter Miami pulls off miraculous 2-2 against Charlotte FC with Lionel Messi and David Beckham watching on in their final MLS home game of 2023


  • Tata Martino previously indicated it was unlikely Messi would play in the game
  • Messi is expected to play in Inter Miami´s colors next during the tour of China 
  • DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news

Inter Miami pulled miraculously off a 2-2 draw to Charlotte FC as Lionel Messi sat out the final regular season game of the year.

Charlotte recoded the first goal of the match when striker Enzo Copetti was able to head a ball into the net on the 45 minute of the first half. 

It did not take Miami long to find an equalizer after Nicolas Stefanelli picked up a last second goal in the six minute of stoppage time to send the game into halftime tied up at 1-1.

Kerwin Vargas quickly put Charlotte back in the driver’s seat however after slotting a ball into the back of the net in the 52.

As hope appeared to be running out for Miami, Robbie Robinson got free only yards in front of the goalkeeper and was able to easily put home the equalizer as Charlotte’s defense was caught ball watching.

Lionel Messi sat out Inter Miami’s last game of the season as they lost 2-1 to Charlotte FC

Enzo Copetti (9) and Kerwin Vargas scored the two goals for Charlotte FC in the draw

Enzo Copetti (9) and Kerwin Vargas scored the two goals for Charlotte FC in the draw

Nicolas Stefanelli (22) scored the lone goal for Miami in their season-ending contest

Nicolas Stefanelli (22) scored the lone goal for Miami in their season-ending contest

Miami manager Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino previously mentioned that Messi was unlikely to participate in the season ending contest, seeing as though Miami had nothing to play for after already being eliminated from making the playoffs.

Despite expressing his wish to play earlier in the week, Messi was still held out of the contest after he only recently returned from playing with Argentina in World Cup qualifiers.

Charlotte needing a win and favorable results elsewhere to snag the eighth or ninth seed in the East and a postseason place. 

Messi is expected to play in Inter Miami´s colors on Nov. 5 and Nov. 8, when the team plays two exhibition matches in China.

It´ll be the first time Inter Miami goes on a foreign tour. Argentina then has more World Cup qualifiers on Nov. 16 and Nov. 21 – after which Messi should get an extended break before Inter Miami begins preparing for 2024.

Messi has 11 goals in 13 matches with Inter Miami this season. The team has gone 8-1-4 when he plays; seven of those matches were on the team´s run to win its first-ever trophy by claiming the Leagues Cup championship.

He has also appeared in five MLS games and one U.S. Open Cup semifinal.

But a leg injury derailed his season, and essentially ended Inter Miami´s chances of making the postseason. Miami is now 1-3-3 in seven matches without Messi since he joined the club.



Source link

Visited 1 times, 1 visit(s) today

Related Article

Serie A: Milan vs. Inter – probable line-ups, where to watch on TV

Milan will look to Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic in the Derby della Madonnina against Inter, while Cristian Chivu will pick Francesco Pio Esposito and Ange-Yoan Bonny up front. It kicks off at 20:45 CET (19:45 GMT) at the Stadio Maradona in San Siro, Milan. Advertisement Inter are the table leaders with a 10-point advantage

Florentino Perez marks upcoming game as ‘crucial’ for Real Madrid’s season

As one of football’s largest and most historic institutions, Real Madrid always worry about the perception of the club and the image projected to any viewing it from the outside. The results, on that front, are crucial for they largely define the club’s image. Even in a season where matters are not going their way,

Vincenzo Grifo receives praise from Julian Schuster and Joachim Löw on occasion of tying Freiburg all-time scoring record

2 SC Freiburg head coach Julian Schuster and the player himself have spoken on Vincenzo Grifo’s tying of Nils Petersen’s overall club goal-scoring record. Grifo also revealed that he received congratulations from former Bundestrainer Joachim Löw as well. Grifo opened up the scoring in the six-goal thriller against Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday, in the process

Bayern Munich’s Jonathan Tah praises Atalanta for ‘intense football’

Bayern Munich center-back Jonathan Tah has faced off with Atalanta before and knows that the style of play is going to make for a competitive, fun throwdown in the Champions League on March 10th. “I’ve played against Atalanta before; they’re a good opponent, they play intense football. You could see that in their matches against

Chelsea give Wrexham’s Premier League dream a reality check

WREXHAM, Wales — Welcome to the Premier League, Wrexham. The Hollywood-owned EFL Championship team are dreaming of reaching the biggest and most glamorous league in the world. Still, Chelsea and Alejandro Garnacho gave them an early warning of what to expect if they make it this season. Wrexham showed they are ready to mix it

How Barcelona, Real Madrid’s Next Five La Liga Games Compare

Four points separate Barcelona and Real Madrid in a La Liga title race that could get blown open in the next few weeks. Álvaro Arbeloa’s men kicked off the weekend slate desperate to snap a two-game losing streak to keep from falling even further behind in the La Liga standings. They accomplished their task—albiet unconvincingly—with

Report: Manuel Neuer will let body determine Bayern Munich future

Bayern bosses would welcome another year with Manuel Neuer, but the goalkeeper will base his decision solely on his physical condition. Neuer has decided that another experience abroad, like Thomas Müller’s in Vancouver, is out of the question for him. He wants to end his career at FC Bayern, whether at the end of this

Atlético subs come up big vs Real Sociedad, 6 weeks before cup final

Atlético Madrid edged past Real Sociedad 3–2 in a lively La Liga encounter that truly felt like a teaser for the looming Copa del Rey final on April 18. With both sides fresh off midweek cup victories, rotations were expected on both ends. But even with the rhythm occasionally chaotic, the entertainment value rarely dipped.

Yamal’s curling strike gives Barcelona a hard-fought win at Athletic Bilbao

Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, center, scores his side’s opening goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona in Bilbao, Spain, Saturday, March 7, 2026. Miguel Oses/AP Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal celebrates scoring his side’s opening goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona in Bilbao, Spain, Saturday,

The race for the Quadruple: Arsenal and Manchester City’s battle

For the first time, two English clubs have reached March still in the hunt for the Quadruple – winning the Premier League, the FA Cup, the EFL Cup, and the Champions League. They are the three most prized domestic trophies and Europe’s elite title. Advertisement Arsenal and Manchester City are both capable of winning all

Madonna responds to Spanish football club asking for their missing shirt

Pop icon Madonna has confirmed she is in possession of a Celta Vigo football shirt she famously wore during a 1990 performance, after the Spanish club launched a public appeal for its return. The La Liga side’s president, Marian Mourino Terrazo, had earlier this week penned an open letter specifically asking for assistance to trace

Inter enquire about Dortmund’s Julian Brandt

Inter have set their sights on Borussia Dortmund’s Julian Brandt as a potential signing for the midfield, initiating an exploratory inquiry to understand the feasibility of a summer move. According to L’Interista, the Nerazzurri are looking to capitalize on the German international’s contractual situation, with his current deal at Signal Iduna Park set to expire

‘Be angry with whoever signed Trent’ – Alexander-Arnold torn apart by Spanish press over defensive sloppiness despite Real Madrid win

Trent’s costly mistake The England international, making just his eighth start in the Spanish top flight since his high-profile summer switch from Anfield, was the primary culprit for Celta’s equaliser. After Aurelien Tchouameni had given Arbeloa’s side the lead, Alexander-Arnold failed to deal with a long ball, allowing Willot Swedberg to skip past him and

Why is Raphinha not playing for Barcelona against Athletic Club today in LaLiga?

Brazilian forward Raphinha was left out of Hansi Flick’s starting XI for FC Barcelona’s LaLiga game against Athletic Club, raising concerns over an injury. However, fan fear can be calmed as the decision is purely based on giving the player adequate rest in a quick-fire turnaround for the Catalan club in the coming days, with

Spanish 2nd-tier match paused after another report of racism

A second-tier Spanish football match was briefly paused after another incident of alleged racism on Saturday. The referee wrote in his report that Real Sociedad B’s Japanese defender Kazunari Kita told him he had been racially abused by Castellon’s Alberto Jimenez. “In the 94th minute the anti-racism protocol was activated,” wrote referee Alonso de Ena

Serie A | Cagliari 1-2 Como: Spectacular Da Cunha raises ambition

CAGLIARI, ITALY – MARCH 07: Martin Baturina of Como celebrates his goal 0-1 with team mates during the Serie A match between Cagliari Calcio and Como 1907 at Stadio Sant’Elia on March 07, 2026 in Cagliari, Italy. (Photo by Enrico Locci/Getty Images) Como continue their march on the Champions League places with a hard-fought

Bundesliga 2025/26 Relegation Check | Borussia Mönchengladbach

2 As the 2025/26 Bundesliga relegation race heats up, Get German Football News is pleased to release “relegation check” features checking in on German clubs fighting the drop. Today, we’ll be having a look in at Borussia Mönchengladbach. Eugen Polanski’s “Fohlenelf” have nine rounds to pick up the ten points needed to reach the Bundesliga “safety

0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x