Story in short:
Lionel Messi converted a penalty in Inter Miami’s 2-1 win over Independiente del Valle
The match was initially postponed due to Messi’s injury
Santi Morales scored the first goal for Miami, after an assist from Luis Suarez
Patrik Mercado equalized 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 on Thursday as Inter Miami CF defeated Independiente del Valle 2-1 in their rescheduled friendly, part of their pre-season tour, at Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium in Puerto Rico.
The match, originally scheduled for February 13, was postponed after Messi pulled his hamstring. As a result, Miami started its Major League Soccer (MLS) campaign with a 0–3 loss to LAFC.
«Hello everyone, I wanted to send this message to the people of Puerto Rico and all the people who go to training and matches,» Messi said in a video before the originally scheduled match qaz4.
«To be honest, I finished the last match in Ecuador with a muscle strain and that’s why I left the field early. That’s why, together with the people of the organization and Inter Miami, it was decided to suspend this match.»
However, Miami, in collaboration with the event organizer and the government of Puerto Rico, honored its commitment to play the friendly on February 26.
Playing in front of a packed house, Santi Morales broke the deadlock in the 16th minute by converting 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 victory for the MLS side.
Published on February 27, 2026
