Lionel Messi returned to Inter Miami action on Saturday following his announcement that he is retiring from international football, helping the Major League Soccer champions to a 2-2 draw with Atlanta United.

The Argentine superstar marked his return by creating both of Miami’s goals, underlining his continued importance to the club just days after revealing his decision to step away from the Argentina national team.

The match was delayed by 90 minutes because of thunderstorms and lightning, but Messi provided plenty of fireworks once play finally got underway.

Miami opened the scoring in the 32nd minute when Brazilian midfielder Casemiro rose to head home Messi’s corner.

Atlanta hit back just three minutes later, with former Newcastle forward Miguel Almirón firing a low shot beyond the Miami defence.

Messi was again at the centre of the action just before half-time. He started a move down the left that eventually allowed former Liverpool and Barcelona striker Luis Suárez to calmly finish and restore Miami’s lead.

But Atlanta refused to surrender, with Swiss striker Breel Embolo converting an 87th-minute penalty to earn the visitors a point.

For Messi, the match represented his first appearance since announcing his international retirement and offered an early glimpse of the next chapter of his career, with his focus now firmly on Inter Miami.

The result came during a busy night of MLS action.

Toronto and Chicago played out a remarkable 4-4 draw, while Philadelphia defeated Montreal 2-0, with 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan scoring his fourth goal of the season.

Sullivan now has 11 goal contributions this season, surpassing Freddy Adu’s previous record of 10 for a 16-year-old.

In Orlando, Antoine Griezmann scored in the 28th minute to give the hosts a 1-0 victory over San Diego, while Austin rescued a 1-1 draw against San Jose through Guilherme Biro’s seventh-minute stoppage-time equaliser.

Iranian clubs Esteghlal and Tractor will play their AFC Champions League Elite matches against teams from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates at neutral venues, following the August 18 league-stage draw in Kuala Lumpur.

The Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) premier club competition is scheduled to begin on September 14, with matches involving the Iranian clubs to be played at neutral venues.

Tehran-based Esteghlal and Tabriz-based Tractor will face UAE sides Al Ain, Al Wasl and Shabab Al Ahli, as well as Qatar’s Al Gharafa, Al Sadd and Al Shamal.

The 2026/27 AFC Champions League Elite features an expanded 32-team format, with 16 clubs competing in each of the Western and Eastern zones. The top eight teams from each zone will advance to the round of 16.

The knockout stages will continue through the regional rounds, with the quarterfinals, semifinals and final scheduled to be played in Saudi Arabia from April 23 to May 1, 2027.

Meanwhile, Ariana Television Network (ATN) will broadcast AFC Champions League Elite matches across Afghanistan, bringing fans nationwide live coverage of some of the biggest club football fixtures in Asia.

Fans across Afghanistan are urged to stay tuned to ATN for more updates, match schedules and broadcast details.

Lionel Messi, who captained Argentina to World Cup victory in 2022 and the final in 2026, is retiring from international football, he said on Monday.

The record eight-times Ballon d’Or winner is his country’s record appearance-maker and scorer with 125 goals in 207 games, having transformed a complicated relationship with the national team into a story of redemption and triumph, Reuters reported.

“It was a decision that hurt — and still hurts deep down — but I understand that the time has ⁠come. I swear to you that I always gave it my all — not just in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too; I always fought and left everything on the field for this jersey, to bring you joy and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football,” the 39-year-old Messi wrote on Instagram.

“Time is running short, chapters come to a close, and this is one that hurts me deeply. I love, have loved, and will always love being part of the national team. I’ve given everything I had; I have nothing left to give, and besides, there are some great young players coming up who deserve to be ⁠here.”

Defeat in this year’s World Cup final by Spain denied Messi a fairytale farewell, but his place among the game’s greats had long since been secured, read the report.

After years of disappointment with Argentina, including defeat in the 2014 World Cup final and successive Copa America finals, Messi won his first major international trophy at the 2021 Copa America before leading his country to glory ⁠at the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

The former Barcelona and Paris St Germain forward, who now plays for Inter Miami, added another Copa America title in 2024 and arrived at his sixth World Cup hoping to complete an extraordinary final chapter.

A 1-0 loss to Spain after ⁠extra time ensured that did not happen, but Messi, who made his Argentina debut in 2005, walks away having emerged from the shadow of 1986 World Cup-winning captain Diego Maradona to forge a legacy of his own ⁠as another defining figure in his country’s football history, Reuters reported.

“I leave with the peace of mind and pride of having given you — alongside my teammates — moments we once only dreamed of,” Messi added.