Messi is making his first appearance on the field, bidding farewell to Argentina

The MLS regular season is at a point where the outcome of every match can change the standings, and Inter Miami can't afford to drop any more points to stay in contention with Nashville SC, who are at the top of the Eastern Conference.  

They face a tough opponent at home, Atlanta United. The big question before the match was whether the team's biggest star, Lionel Messi, would play. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner will make his first appearance on the field since his recent retirement from the Argentina national team.

Miami have shown a confidence-inspiring performance ahead of this match. In their last match, they thrashed CF Montreal 7-1. The main hero of that match was Lionel Messi. He scored four goals alone. 

After that great performance, the Argentine star will be the biggest hope for Miami's attack against Atlanta. 

Messi recently confirmed his retirement from the Argentina national team. Although he is about to end his chapter with the national team, this has not affected his performance in club football. On the contrary, he has been proving his superiority once again this season.

Messi has scored 18 goals and provided nine assists in 22 MLS regular season games, making him a huge influence on Miami's attack, both in terms of scoring and providing goals. He is also the league's all-time leading scorer with 18 goals.  

Behind him is FC Dallas' Peter Musa, with 16 goals. New York City FC's Nicolas Fernandez Marcou is in third place with 14 goals.

However, Miami will not be able to rely solely on Messi. Atlanta United is a team that can make the match difficult when given the opportunity. And Miami's main goal is to get three points in this match if they want to keep Nashville under pressure in the race for the top spot. 

After a seven-goal storm against Montreal, Miami now faces a different kind of test against Atlanta. Whether Messi will shine again in that test, or Atlanta will stop Miami's run - that remains to be seen.

Messi's Miami is currently second in the points table. They have 42 points from 22 matches with 12 wins and 6 draws. On the other hand, Nashville is at the top with 53 points from 23 matches with 16 wins and 5 draws.

Miami's probable starting XI: Dane St-Clair; Ian Frei, Casemiro, Maximiliano Falcon, Facundo Moura; Rodrigo de Paul, Yannick Bright, Telasco Segovia; Lionel Messi (captain), German Bertram, Luis Suarez.