Lionel Messi made his first appearance since the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, coming off the bench in the second half to help Inter Miami earn a 2-2 draw against Columbus Crew.
The Argentine star returned to action in a Major League Soccer (MLS) match on Saturday, two weeks after Argentina lost to Spain in the World Cup final in New Jersey.
Messi had several clear chances in the closing minutes but couldn't convert them to mark his comeback with a goal.
The match was delayed 40 minutes due to bad weather in Miami. Once play got underway, Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez scored his seventh goal in four games, putting the hosts ahead 1-0 in the 16th minute.
In the 34th minute, former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro scored an own goal to level at 1-1.
Suarez then set up Noah Allen for a header to make it 2-1 for Miami just before halftime.
However, midfielder Brais Mendez, making his debut for Columbus after joining from Real Sociedad, converted a free kick in the 84th minute to seal the 2-2 draw.
The result ended Inter Miami's six-game winning streak and left them in second place in the Eastern Conference, behind Nashville, who drew 2-2 at DC United.
Lewandowski shines in home debut
Elsewhere, Polish legend Robert Lewandowski scored twice in his home debut to lead Chicago Fire to a 2-1 victory over Charlotte FC on Saturday night.
Lewandowski, who joined Chicago Fire on a free transfer in late June, netted his first goal for the club to level the score after Pep Biel had given Charlotte an 18th-minute lead.
The former Borussia Dortmund striker scored two minutes later, placing the ball into the bottom left corner of Kristijan Kahlina's goal.
Lewandowski doubled the lead in the 68th minute, securing Chicago's first win after the World Cup break.
