Fans have criticized Lionel Messi on X after Atlanta United defeated Inter Miami 3-2 in their third MLS Playoff clash. The Herons' season is now over following their loss at the Chase Stadium on Saturday, November 9.
This was a must-win fixture for Inter Miami in the first round of the MLS Cup Eastern Conference Playoffs. The Herons won the first game 2-1 against Atlanta, however, the latter won the second fixture 2-1 to send the best-of-three series to a final decider.
Lionel Messi helped give his side the lead in the 17th minute when his top-corner strike was saved by Brad Guzan. The rebound fell into the path of Matias Rojas who bundled home to make it 1-0. However, Jamal Thiare scored an exceptional brace in just two minutes (19', 21') to get Atlanta back into the game.
Lionel Messi continued to create chances for his side, which were denied by Guzan. The Argentine leveled the scores in the 65th minute with a good header. The Chase Stadium faithful were left stunned in the 76th minute when Bartosz Slisz scored against the run of play to knock Inter Miami out of the competition.
Lionel Messi had a good game, creating seven chances and landing all three of his shots on target. But one fan wasn't impressed by his failure to guide his side to the next round as they posted:
"Still not impressive enough after missing almost all game the whole season just to come back to let the team down. Fraud exposed."
Another fan claimed their GOAT is now Cristiano Ronaldo:
"I officially change my GOAT to Ronaldo. Messi couldn't even win against farmers from this weakest football league. Ronaldo would never let it happen!"
Other fans reacted below:
"He should have done more," one fan insisted.
"Messi shuld step down," one fan commented.
"Participation D'or," another added.
"Messi did everything he could," one fan pointed out.
"My goat could never be cooked like this in burger league," another chimed in.
Taking a look back at Lionel Messi and Inter Miami's 2024 campaign
Inter Miami's season came to an abrupt and shocking end when they were knocked out in the first round of the MLS Playoffs following a 3-2 defeat to Atlanta United. Let's take a look back at what Lionel Messi and Co. achieved this season at club level.
Messi struggled with an ankle ligament injury, as well as a hamstring issue this season, causing him to miss 13 games across all competitions. Despite this, the 37-year-old scored 23 goals and provided 13 assists in 25 appearances across competitions.
Lionel Messi inspired Inter Miami to win the 2024 Supporters' Shield after they finished the regular season at the top of the Eastern Conference standings with a record-breaking 74 points from 34 games. Unfortunately, they weren't able to do much in other competitions, crashing out in the Round of 16 of the Leagues Cup, and at the quarterfinal stage of the CONCACAF Champions Cup.