Lionel Messi starting on the Inter Miami bench for potential MLS debut has fans on social media in uproar

Lionel Messi starting on the Inter Miami bench for potential MLS debut has fans in an uproar on social media

  • Lionel Messi starts from the bench after a grueling recent schedule
  • The World Cup winner played 120 minutes vs. Cincinnati
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For many fans across America, the worst was confirmed: Lionel Messi started on the bench against New York Red Bulls in Harrison, NJ.

Messi’s MLS debut has been awaited for two months following a stunning opening to his career at Inter Miami.

Tickets on a secondary sales website were as low as $400 and as expensive as $1,200 just minutes before kickoff.

Many of the 25,000 crowd in the sold-out Red Bull Arena will have paid dearly for the chance to see Messi’s first league game, hoping he would play most of the match.

But with both he and Sergio Busquets starting on the bench, that remains unlikely.

The 36-year-old World Cup winner was not fit enough to start on the field on Saturday evening

1693095536 651 Lionel Messi starting on the Inter Miami bench for potential

1693095538 996 Lionel Messi starting on the Inter Miami bench for potential

1693095540 711 Lionel Messi starting on the Inter Miami bench for potential

1693095542 184 Lionel Messi starting on the Inter Miami bench for potential

Tata Martino's decision to leave Lionel Messi on the bench has caused a stir on social media

Tata Martino’s decision to leave Lionel Messi on the bench has caused a stir on social media

Thousands of Lionel Messi fans flocked to the Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey to see him

Thousands of Lionel Messi fans flocked to the Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey to see him

As you can imagine, social media lit up when the Herons announced that Messi would start on the bench.

“RIP to the ppl (sic) who paid $400 just to see the regular 12th place on the Miami team,” one user wrote.

It turns out to be much worse than that. Inter Miami are last (15th) in the Eastern Conference and are 14 points short of a playoff spot, albeit with two games remaining for most teams.

“An Argentinian boy of my cousin in America paid four bills to watch that match especially for Messi.”

“I speak for all Messi fans when I say we are not watching tonight’s game because the goat will not start.”