Messi not in Miami’s starting lineup, misses warmups for first Major League Soccer match

HARRISON, N.J. (AP) — Lionel Messi was not in the starting lineup for his first Major League Soccer game with Inter Miami and didn’t join his teammates for warmups before a match at the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night.

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner was listed on coach Tata Martino’s bench along with midfielder Sergio Busquets, forward Josef Martinez and U.S. national team defender DeAndre Yedlin.

Miami entered with an 11-game MLS winless streak that included eight defeats and had just one road victory this season. Miami’s 22 points were the fewest among the league’s 29 teams.

The 36-year-old Messi, who joined MLS from Paris Saint-Germain, played his first Miami game on July 21 in the Leagues Cup and scored 10 goals in seven games in that competition and a U.S. Open Cup semifinal.

The streets around Red Bull Arena were packed 2 1/2 hours before the match, filled with dozens of scalpers and people selling unlicensed Messi jerseys. A simulcast of the game was scheduled on a videoboard in Times Square.

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