Thirteen days after Argentina’s extra-time defeat to Spain in the World Cup final, the 39-year-old made his comeback as a second-half substitute in Inter Miami’s 2-2 MLS draw against the Columbus Crew.

Instead of walking straight back into the starting XI, Messi began the evening on the bench. He was introduced in the 53rd minute to a standing ovation, replacing Daniel Pinter as Inter Miami looked to protect a narrow lead.

The biggest moment of his night arrived almost immediately.

Just three minutes after coming on, Luis Suarez found Messi inside the penalty area with a perfectly weighted pass. The Argentine controlled the ball effortlessly before unleashing his trademark left-footed effort. The crowd was already celebrating, only for the shot to drift agonisingly wide of the near post.

It proved to be the closest Messi came to marking his return with a goal.

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Inter Miami had earlier looked on course for victory thanks largely to Suarez, who produced one of his best performances of the season. The Uruguayan opened the scoring with a spectacular long-range strike before setting up Noah Allen to restore Miami’s advantage before half-time.

Columbus, however, refused to fade away. After benefitting from a Casemiro own goal in the first half, they equalised again late in the match through Brais Mendez’s free-kick, denying Miami all three points.

Messi’s first match after FIFA World Cup final

Messi returned to club football after an outstanding World Cup campaign in which he scored eight goals and provided four assists before leading Argentina to a second successive World Cup final. Alongside him, Rodrigo De Paul also returned to action after being rested following the tournament.

Despite dropping points, Inter Miami remain firmly in the Eastern Conference title race and now shift their attention to the Leagues Cup, where fixtures against Atletico de San Luis, Monterrey and León await.

For Messi, the result mattered less than something far more important: after weeks dominated by the biggest tournament in football, the next chapter has officially begun.