Watch: Inter Miami held to 1-1 draw against Lionel Messi's childhood club Newell's Old Boys

The MLS side will now prepare for the new season

On Friday morning, Lionel Messi and Inter Miami wrapped off their turbulent Major League Soccer pre-season camp with a 1-1 draw versus Messi’s childhood team, Newell’s Old Boys.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or hero was playing against the team that he and Inter Miami coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino, who are both natives of Rosario, Argentina, had grown up with for the first time.

Before moving on to play for FC Barcelona, where he became a football sensation, Messi was a student there. Martino holds the record for the greatest number of appearances in a club’s history. He was both a manager and a player for the team.

Messi, 36, did not make much of an impact on the match despite the stadium being filled with eager spectators waiting to see him play. Despite missing a free kick in the first half, he appeared healthy as he charged forward and effortlessly cut through opponents.

Due to persistent problems, Messi was unable to play in a preseason match in Hong Kong on February 4. With a groyne injury, he was forced to sit out the entire game while supporters jeered and demanded reimbursement.

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At the sixty-minute mark of Thursday’s match, Messi and Luis Suárez of Inter Miami left the pitch. At that moment, a young supporter ran onto the pitch, reaching out to embrace Messi, only to be apprehended by security personnel.

After Thursday’s game, Martino stated that Messi felt OK and expressed confidence in his ability to recuperate as he prepares for the regular season.

Franco Díaz of Newell levelled the score in the 83rd minute after Shanyder Borgelin’s header gave Inter Miami a 1-0 lead in the 64th.

Messi had a chaotic first MLS preseason. Messi and Uruguayan sensation Suárez were part of Inter Miami’s promotional and marketing tour, which took place across the globe. However, the tour’s performance on the pitch wasn’t excellent, and it earned primarily negative press.

Before winning in Hong Kong, Inter Miami’s first five games saw them outscored 12-7. The fact that neither Messi nor Suárez touched the pitch cast a pall over that victory.

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