It was a tough night for Inter Miami. Nothing seemed to go right on the pitch at Chase Stadium. Javier Mascherano’s game plan was completely shut down by Óscar Pareja’s tactical setup. Lionel Messi was one of the biggest victims — with little offensive involvement and visible frustration throughout the 90 minutes. The final whistle delivered another blow. And what La Pulga said to the press afterward raised even more concerns.
“The truth is it hurts to lose another match. We’re coming off a rough patch of bad results, but we have to keep working and focus on what’s ahead. We have three or four games left this month to finish strong, and then we’ll face the Club World Cup,” Messi said in his first comments.
However, beyond his frustration with the defeat and his complaints about the refereeing, the Argentine star worried fans even more when asked about his future with the Florida team.
As soon as the question came up, Messi stepped back from the microphone, looked ready to head to the locker room, and gave a short, cryptic response:
“No, I don’t know anything.”
What Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas had said about Messi’s contract
About a month ago, Cuban-American businessman Jorge Mas explained that key factors would influence Messi’s renewal — including whether or not he plans to play in the 2026 World Cup with Argentina, and how comfortable his family feels living in the U.S.
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Lionel Messi breaks silence amid Inter Miami crisis and takes jab at MLS referees after loss to Orlando
“Lionel — and I’ve said this many times — out of all the players I’ve seen, he’s a competitive beast. It’s incredible to see the greatest player of all time still playing with so much passion. Last night during the match against Toronto, his goal celebration was full of emotion — it was almost his 900th career goal. But I believe Lionel has a lot to consider. One big factor is his desire, assuming he’s healthy, to play and defend the World Cup in the United States with Argentina. I believe Lionel is thinking about that,” Mas said.
