Expectations were high for Inter Miami to defend their 2024 MLS Shield, but fans got a reality check as the 2025 regular season nears its end. The Herons have failed to clinch the league’s top spot, forcing them to rely on the upcoming playoffs in hopes of securing the Championship title. However, before that, there’s still a golden opportunity, at least for their skipper and star, Lionel Messi, to achieve something special: the MLS Golden Boot.

And from the looks of it, things have just gotten real, especially after learning that even his national team, Argentina, is lending him a helping hand in this pursuit. Earlier this week, the 37-year-old forward took a leave of absence from Inter Miami in order to reunite with La Albiceleste for this month’s international window. While many thought he would feature against Venezuela on a rain-soaked Friday night, the skipper was instead spotted in casual attire watching his country edge past their fellow CONMEBOL rivals with a narrow 1-0 win from a suite at Hard Rock Stadium.

Many had already speculated that he would miss out on the game, considering the former FC Barcelona star was touted to be available for Inter Miami’s final home game against Atlanta United on Saturday. It was only for his national team to turn this alleged talk into reality, as Lionel Messi has indeed been released from the Argentina national team camp to play for his MLS team tomorrow. At least, a report from Bolavip Argentina says so.

This only means that his return will not only give Inter Miami a much-needed boost to try to secure the crucial three points, but also give a chance to Messi himself to solidify his chance of winning the Golden Boot. At least renowned MLS analyst Taylor Twellmenn would relate, who retweeted this news on his X profile with a caption saying, “The Audi MLS Golden Boot chase just got very interesting.”

To be fair, it is interesting. Lionel Messi is currently tied with LAFC striker Denise Bouanga with a tally of 24 goals. Trailing behind them with just one strike is Nashville’s Sam Surridge, who is also vying for the prestigious individual accolade. But the race is mainly between Messi and Bouanga. And guess what? La Pulga still holds the upper hand in it. That’s because Denise Bouanga is away for his national team duty for Gabon. And unlike Messi, he hasn’t been released from his country for LAFC’s second-last MLS clash against Austin on Sunday.

So this certainly gives Leo Messi a chance to take the lead in the Golden Boot race. Failure to do so would keep things level between him and Bouanga, with either player deciding their fate in their respective final matchday clashes, where Inter Miami are facing Nashville in an away clash and LAFC locking horns against Colorado.

And if either of them fails to settle the scoring for the same, then the first tiebreaker for deciding the Golden Boot race would be the maximum number of assists, which, thankfully, Messi has already covered. The 8x Ballon d’Or winner has 14 of them, trailing in second place with just two behind San Diego’s Anders Dreyer. So there is also no need to go to the third derivative to define the Golden Boot winner in the case of a tie, which is the maximum number of minutes played.

Either way, the talking point remains that it was a much-needed gesture from Argentina, and somewhat sensible to dismiss Messi early from the team.

Lionel Messi can sit back and relax for Argentina, unlike for Inter Miami

While Lionel Messi was released from La Albiceleste camp for the sake of his potential domestic endeavour, one should note that he will have to return for his team’s Puerto Rico clash on Tuesday. “Let’s hope Messi can be there on Tuesday, we’ll see how things unfold in the coming days,” said Scaloni. This is something that Inter Miami can afford, considering their final Nashville clash is next weekend, giving their star skipper enough time to rest and train accordingly.

Then again, what they actually can’t afford is his getting fatigued, or even worse, an injury. That’s why there’s often a fear among many to see Messi handling both domestic and international fronts. To be fair, not playing for Argentina should hardly concern the former PSG striker. After all, Lionel Scaloni’s side has qualified for the 2026 World Cup, a tournament that Messi is uncertain about playing. Until the summer tournament, these matches are merely an obligation for the Rosario-born player.

Meanwhile, after Inter Miami finishes its regular season, they will be gearing up for its playoffs. It’s something that Messi has some food for thought and focus on his domestic pursuits for the time being. Then again, playing for the national team is also about helping his fellow teammates potentially defend their 2022 win. And of course, why not state the obvious? We would love to see Lionel Messi play every time!