“At one point, he was just standing on the side” – Nashville star makes interesting claim on Lionel Messi display in Leagues Cup final

Nashville forward Sam Surridge recently shared his perspective on what it was like to play against Inter Miami's Lionel Messi during the Leagues Cup final.

Messi had completely transformed the Herons, as well as the MLS as a whole since joining on July 15, along with Barcelona legends Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or hit the ground running, impressing with both his goalscoring and playmaking abilities. He was able to lead a struggling Inter Miami side to their very first title - the Leagues Cup.

Inter Miami faced Nashville in the final at Geodis Park on August 19. Lionel Messi gave the Herons the lead in the 23rd minute but Fafa Picault leveled the scores in the 57th minute. Tata Martino and Co. would go on to win the penalty shootout 10-9 to win the trophy.

Surridge gave his perspective on the blockbuster clash with Live Score. He said (via MARCA):

"It was quite a surreal experience, especially as it was a final. It was something I didn't think would happen, playing against Messi in a final, so yeah, it was a bit crazy."

He added:

"We felt we should have won with our second-half performance and obviously Messi was the one who scored the equaliser. He wasn't really doing much. At one point, he was just standing on the side of the pitch."

"And then suddenly, within a minute, he gets the ball and puts it in the top corner. That's something he does in games that I can perhaps try and learn from. But it was all quite incredible, to be honest."

Lionel Messi scored 10 goals and provided one assist in just seven appearances during the Leagues Cup.

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Journalist shares Lionel Messi injury update ahead of Inter Miami-Chicago Fire clash

Football journalist Gaston Edul recently provided an important injury update on Lionel Messi, confirming the Argentine ace would miss Inter Miami's upcoming MLS match against Chicago Fire on October 4.

Messi has missed the Herons' past three games due to a muscle fatigue issue that he picked up while on international duty for Argentine last month. This included the US Open Cup where Inter Miami were defeated 2-1 by Houston Dynamo on September 27.

Edul tweeted on X (formerly Twitter):

"Leo Messi would not play against Chicago Fire. Next Saturday the 7th is the last match in the preview of the Argentine. National Team matches (Inter Miami - Cincinnati). They aim for him to be able to add minutes in that game."

Time is running out for the Herons to qualify for the MLS playoffs with just four games of the regular season to go. They are 13th in the MLS Eastern Conference with 33 points, four behind ninth-placed Montreal.

Tata Martino's side will be banking on Lionel Messi to return soon. He has scored 11 goals and provided five assists in 12 appearances across all competitions.