Former United States Men’s National Team international Herculez Gomez has criticized Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit Inter Miami for not making the details of Lionel Messi’s latest injury public. He also held MLS accountable for not forcing the Herons to reveal how long it would take for their star man to return to action.
Lionel Messi Out Of Action For Indefinite Time
Messi, 37, picked up an ankle injury during Argentina’s clash with Colombia in the 2024 Copa America final on July 14. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner tried to play through the pain, but the injury was too severe for him to brush off. After coming off the pitch, a distraught Messi was seen nursing his swollen ankle with an ice pack. Luckily, Argentina did not suffer because of his injury, with Lautaro Martinez popping up with the winning goal to seal a record 45th career trophy for Messi.
After assessing Messi’s latest injury, Inter Miami issued a vague statement, confirming the superstar would be out of action for an indefinite time.
The official statement read (via ESPN):
“After a medical evaluation, it has been determined that Leo Messi has suffered a ligament injury in his right ankle.
“The captain’s availability will be determined by periodic assessments and the progress of his recovery.”
Due to the injury, Messi sat out the MLS All-Star Game and is likely to miss the Herons’ Leagues Cup defense.
Herculez Gomez Slams Inter Miami For Lack Of Transparency
Commenting on Messi’s latest setback and Inter Miami’s handling of the situation, Gomez told Futbol Americas (via GOAL):
“It is complete horsecrap that they won’t give you an outline on what’s exactly going on and how long it will be. Other teams have to give you that. Inter Miami staying tight-lipped and not saying anything, that to me is embarrassing for MLS.
“We’ve always heard things and seen things from MLS from the beginning, the LA Galaxy got away with these things, LAFC got away with those things, Toronto here, Seattle there, but when it comes to Inter Miami, you’ve not only proven to get away with it, you look the other away, you publicly look the other way.”
The lack of a clear update is especially frustrating for fans, who pay well over the standard MLS rate to attend Inter Miami’s matches, hoping Messi would make an appearance. The lack of transparency on the matter is undoubtedly hurting MLS and Miami’s credibility.
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