Inter Miami saw a three-game winning streak snapped by Red Bull New York on Saturday, and Lionel Messi is partially to blame for the Herons’ struggles at Sports Illustrated Stadium.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner had to fly to Spain on Wednesday to receive the Princess of Asturias Award for Sport the following day. Then, Messi made the long journey back to the United States in time for Inter Miami’s weekend MLS clash.

Except the heavy travel and time changes kept Messi on the bench at the start of the game, leaving reigning MLS Cup winners without their best and most influential player against a hungry Red Bull team.

The Herons were down 1–0 just seven minutes into the bout, thanks to an own goal from Casemiro, and finished the first half without a single shot on target. The team was crying out for Messi, who eventually came on the pitch just before the hour-mark.

In the end, it wasn’t enough time for the 39-year-old to pull off a moment of magic to get Inter Miami back into the game. The visitors ultimately suffered a 2–0 defeat, relinquishing the Eastern Conference’s second place to New England Revolution and falling to third.

Messi’s Limited Minutes Were ‘Agreed Upon’

It’s incredibly rare to see Messi not in Inter Miami’s starting XI. Even at age 39, the Barcelona legend is starting week in and week out for the Herons, putting on a show for home and away crowds more often than not.

Messi missed just two games after a grueling World Cup last summer with Argentina. He then only sat out of one match following the passing of his father.

Yet his recent travels forced Inter Miami to come up with a plan to manage his workload, even if it came at the detriment of the team.

“This was something that had already been agreed upon,” manager Kily González said after Saturday’s defeat. “Obviously, he’s been through quite a journey, time zone changes, temperature shifts and a whole host of other factors.

“We were fully aware of all of this, and we reached an agreement that this was the best approach to ensure he didn’t suffer any issues, specifically to avoid any injuries considering we have another match this Wednesday.

“The goal was for him to recover and get some minutes under his belt today; as always, he performed well.”

More Travel Could Be on the Horizion for Messi

As González mentioned, Inter Miami have a match on Wednesday against FC Cincinnati. It is the team’s third-to-last regular season battle before the fight for the MLS Cup truly begins.

But before the Herons host Pat Noonan’s men at Nu Stadium, there is a much-larger event taking place across the Atlantic Ocean: the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony.

Messi is one of 30 men nominated for soccer’s most prestigious individual prize, awarded this year in London. The Argentine is not expected to claim a record-extending ninth Ballon d’Or award, but he is expected to be in attendance at the London Palladium Theatre on Monday evening.

Should Messi indeed attend the ceremony, that means another long trip overseas coming just days before a crucial MLS clash. González then might be forced to limit the forward’s minutes again, leaving the Herons to potentially pay the price.