Lionel Messi made a highly anticipated return to training with Inter Miami following his injury in the 2024 Copa America final.

During the latest training session, cameras captured Messi taking his first steps back on the field. The 37-year-old superstar began by warming up solo with a coach, initially sporting light blue boots before switching to pink ones. He moved with ease, performing leg exercises and short sprints. Messi then put on a recovery green pitch shirt and joined a group exercise, where players stood in a circle and passed the ball, marking a promising step in his comeback.

Messi has started training again for Inter Miami. Photo: Screenshot

Messi has missed 19 of Inter Miami’s 34 games this season due to injury and Argentina’s international duty. The former Barca star has missed the last seven games since suffering an ankle injury, including the most recent win over Cincinnati .

Coach Tata Martino said he could not predict exactly when Messi would return, but he confirmed that the Inter Miami captain would return soon.

“The timing of his return will depend on how he feels after starting to train with the team, ” he said . “Messi hasn’t trained with the team yet but in the last three or four days he has been on the pitch working with a physiotherapist and is improving well.”

Coach Tata Martino confirmed that Messi will return soon. Photo: Getty

The Argentine tactician also said that an athlete’s recovery process is not only physical but also mental, and Messi is recovering both physically and mentally as he returns to training on the field.

Inter Miami travel to the Chicago Fire this weekend, and Messi is unlikely to be fit in time. The Herons next play at home to the Philadelphia Union, and if there are no setbacks, that could be a good time for Messi to return. That would give him seven games of the season to get back into form before the playoffs.