Who would have thought that Inter Miami’s best-laid plans would go awry? Fresh off winning the MLS Supporters’ Shield, the Herons had everything set with their goal of winning the MLS Cup. But sadly, fate took a turn for the worse, and their playoff journey came to an end. While their frustration over the loss is understandable, Landon Donovan doesn’t approve of the fact that Lionel Messi and Co. ‘walked right off the field’ after the final whistle.

Sure, they had their own right to do so. But what the former USMNT forward would have at least liked to see is a formality of staying on the pitch to at least shake hands with the opponents and acknowledge their fans. “I don’t like that,” Donovan began his ranting on the latest podcast episode of Unfiltered Soccer with Landon Donovan and Tim Howard.

“Just shake their hands and say congratulations. Messi walked right off the field and maybe in the locker room they came out and said congrats or whatever and by the way, your fans are out there too, at least congratulate them on a great season and thank them for all the support they’ve had,” added the San Diego Wave boss.  

Frustration was visible on Messi and Co.’s faces, who were clearly fuming over their poor loss. That’s not all as the discontent also remained due to certain refereeing decisions during the game. Tata Martino had interestingly taken a dig at poor officiating stating, “There was a very clear penalty… Luis Suarez’s shot hit the defender’s hand, but the referee didn’t even check it, and for me, that was decisive.”

There were also some heated moments during the game where Lionel Messi tried to snatch the ball from Brad Guzman and it later saw Leo Campana giving a push to the rival goalie with Luis Suarez confronting the 40-year-old skipper. However, the final saw Atlanta United secure a 3-2 win over Inter Miami at Chase Stadium.

No wonder it was hard for Lionel Messi and Co. to see the rival side celebrate victory on their own home soil. While we don’t know about acknowledging the opposition team, we do know Messi had a heartfelt message for all his fans!

Lionel Messi outlines future plans with Inter Miami after MLS playoffs exit

The 37-year-old finally broke his silence on Instagram, taking a moment to share a carousel of five photos highlighting the season’s best moments. In his caption, he reflected, “A season ended in which we continued to grow as a club and, although we achieved some goals, we wanted more. Thanks to all the people who joined and supported us. Now let’s get ready to come back stronger next year.”

Despite the team’s drive for even greater achievements, Messi remains proud of his club and teammates’ progress. Though it may be a while before they fully set their sights on the new season, La Pulga seems to have sent a powerful message of redemption. The former FC Barcelona star acknowledged the significant growth the team has experienced since his arrival.

However, after their recent setback in the MLS playoffs, the forward now calls on his team to reflect, re-energize, and regroup for the 2025/26 season to make the most of it. And with the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup on the horizon, it will be interesting to see how they fare in their journey forward.