On Thursday, Inter Miami secured their spot in the quarter-finals of the Concachampions by defeating Cavalier 1-0 in Jamaica, with a goal from Lionel Messi. Luis Suárez opened the scoring in the 37th minute, and Messi increased the lead in the 48th minute after coming on in the second half.
The Argentine captain, who had not played in the last three matches due to a muscle injury, ignited the hopes of spectators at Independence Park. Inter Miami will face Los Angeles FC in the next stage of the tournament.
In the first leg, Inter Miami had already defeated Cavalier 2-0 with goals from Suárez and Tadeo Allende. The latter, along with Oscar Ustari and Federico Redondo, was also a starter in the return match.
During the game, Suárez converted a penalty in the 36th minute, opening the scoring. Messi came on in the second half and was close to scoring several times. Finally, he sealed the match with a clever goal at the end of the game.
Messi's presence in this match brought relief to the head coach of the Argentine National Team, Lionel Scaloni, ahead of the upcoming South American Qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil. Messi did not start as a starter, but his performance on the field was promising for his return to the national team.
