Story in brief:
Lionel Messi converted a penalty in Inter Miami’s 2-1 win over Independiente del Valle
Match was initially postponed after Messi’s injury
Santi Morales scored the first goal for Miami, from a Luis Suarez assist
Patrik Mercado equalised for Independiente del Valle in the 17th minute
Messi came on in the second half and scored the winner in the 70th minute
Lionel Messi scored from the spot as Inter Miami CF beat Independiente del Valle 2-1 in their rescheduled friendly, which was part of their pre-season tour, at the Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium in Puerto Rico on Thursday.
The match, originally scheduled for February 13, was postponed after Messi pulled his hamstring. As a result, Miami began its Major League Soccer (MLS) campaign with a 0-3 loss to LAFC.
“Hi everyone, I wanted to send this message to the people of Puerto Rico and all the people that will be going to the training session and game,” Messi said in a video before the originally scheduled match.
“To be honest, during the last game in Ecuador, I concluded with a muscle strain, which is why I left the field early. So, together with the people of the organisation and Inter Miami, it was decided to suspend this game.
Miami, in collaboration with the event promoter and the government of Puerto Rico, however, honoured the commitment to play the friendly on February 26.
Playing in front of a packed house, Santi Morales broke the deadlock in the 16th minute, converting from a Luis Suarez assist to give Miami the lead. However, Independiente restored parity within a minute, with Patrik Mercado putting his name on the scoresheet.
The stadium erupted with applause when Messi finally took the field in the second half, and then rattled the net in the 70th minute, securing a win for the MLS side.
Published on Feb 27, 2026
