Messi dismisses rest: "It's worse for me"

Lionel Messi admitted on Wednesday that he lacked match sharpness in the Leagues Cup match against Atlas, attributing it to the recent Major League Soccer break. "Initially, I felt a bit sluggish. I'd been playing regularly, but I missed the last game and I felt it, especially in the first half," he said after Inter Miami's 2-1 victory.

"While it might seem beneficial to have missed the previous match, for me, it's worse. I need to compete. I feel physically better when I'm playing regularly," he added.

Messi was instrumental in the victory, providing two assists for goals scored by teammates Telasco Segovia and Marcelo Weigandt. The Herons' captain also commented on the debut of new signing Rodrigo de Paul, a player he believes brings "a step up in quality" to the squad.

"We've known each other for a long time and played many matches together. He truly improves the squad's quality. He's shown immense desire. Despite not having trained much recently, he covered every blade of grass, especially considering the challenging conditions here with the heat, humidity, and high temperatures," he noted.