Messi back in Inter Miami training after World Cup heartbreak

Lionel Messi has resumed training with Inter Miami, returning to club duties just 10 days after Argentina’s World Cup final defeat to Spain.

The 39-year-old was filmed walking out onto the training pitch alongside former Barcelona team-mate Luis Suarez in a video released on Inter Miami’s social media channels on Wednesday.

Messi had been on leave since Argentina’s 1-0 loss to Spain in the World Cup final on 19 July in New Jersey, spending time with his family in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina.

The Argentina captain had expressed his anguish in the immediate aftermath of that defeat, writing on social media: “The pain is immense and it’s going to take a long time for this wound to heal.”

He had been attempting to guide Argentina to back-to-back World Cup titles but has not yet indicated whether he intends to continue his international career.

No date set for competitive return

Inter Miami head coach Guillermo Hoyos, a long-time friend of Messi and a fellow Argentine, had said during the forward’s absence that there was no fixed date for his return, nor for that of Rodrigo De Paul, who is also a team-mate of Messi for both club and country.

“They need the time,” Hoyos said a week ago.

“A World Cup is a massive undertaking, there is physical and mental exhaustion. They deserve the space.”

Messi’s comeback to training does not yet mean a confirmed competitive return, with Inter Miami still to announce when he will next feature in a match.

Inter Miami host Columbus Crew on Saturday before starting their Leagues Cup campaign next Wednesday against San Luis. The Leagues Cup is a joint competition featuring clubs from Major League Soccer and Mexican leagues.

All-Star Game absence approved

During their post-World Cup recovery period, both Messi and De Paul were excused from taking part in Wednesday’s MLS All-Star Game in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The annual fixture sees a selection of MLS’s standout players form a single side, this year facing a team representing Mexican club sides.

Selection normally carries an obligation to play, with exemptions generally granted only for injury. Messi did not feature in last year’s All-Star Game and received a one-match suspension for his absence.

On this occasion, however, MLS authorised both Messi and De Paul to miss the event because of the short turnaround following their World Cup commitments.

Messi has never appeared in the All-Star Game since joining Inter Miami.

For now, his only confirmed step back towards regular action is his reappearance at the club’s training ground, as he begins the process of moving on from Argentina’s World Cup disappointment.