MIAMI — Lionel Messi arrived in Buenos Aires early Monday morning wearing a giant smile, a comfy-looking Adidas sweatshirt (of course!) and carrying a fashionable black satchel.

He posted a photo of his happy self in front of Argentina’s national team headquarters, letting his 505 million Instagram followers know that things are good again in Leo’s world, just in time for a pair of World Cup qualifiers, the Club World Cup, and an expected contract extension that will keep him with Inter Miami through its 2026 inaugural season in Miami Freedom Park stadium.

There was no heavy luggage in sight in the photo. Just the small satchel, which seemed fitting.

The Argentine legend is traveling light this week, having shed a load of weight off his (and his Miami teammates’) shoulders with a brilliant performance Saturday in a 5-1 rout of the Columbus Crew in which he scored twice and assisted on goals by Tadeo Allende, Luis Suarez and Fafa Picault.

That victory vaulted the men in pink to third place in the Eastern Conference, one point from second with a game in hand, after a miserable May slump that had many fans and media members questioning whether the team could still win with Messi and his aging former Barcelona buddies, and whether Javier Mascherano deserved to be coach.

The critics have quieted down, at least for now.

Messi himself had gotten grumpy during the team’s poor run, letting his frustration show by repeatedly arguing with referees, which landed him yellow cards after the final whistle of back-to-back games. He was not waving at fans as much, not looking as joyful as he had at the start of the year.

The reason is simple, say insiders. He hates to lose.

Messi, a few weeks shy of his 38th birthday, is still blessed with breathtaking skill, and is also fiercely competitive, even at training, say his coaches and teammates. He never accepts mediocrity, never coasts, even though he has already won eight Ballon d’Or trophies, a World Cup trophy, countless other prestigious championships, and makes an estimated $135 million a year between salary and endorsements.

He expects the best of himself, and his teammates, and the group was falling far short of expectations. Inter Miami went winless for seven of eight games and dropped to seventh place in the East before turning things around this week with a tie against the Philadelphia Union and wins over Montreal and Columbus.

Things were so bad that Minnesota United and Orlando City mocked Inter Miami on social media after lopsided wins over Messi’s team.

And yes, it is Messi’s team. No doubt about it. He replaced co-owner David Beckham as the celebrity face of the club from the moment he and his family touched down in a private jet at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport on July 11, 2023.

Everything revolves around Messi, on and off the field. He drives attendance, home and away. He drives ticket prices. His No. 10 pink shirt is the best selling in the world. He also is the fulcrum of everything the team does during games. Every player on both teams has him in mind all the time.

“He is the best player who has ever played in the history of the sport; when he doesn’t look great, it’s because one of us is failing, that’s the truth,” Mascherano said.

“Whether as a teammate or now as a coach, I still enjoy everything he does on the field. Admiration is seeing in someone what you wish you could do but can’t. Our job is to create the right environment so he can shine, enjoy and lead this team.”

He shined Saturday. He enjoyed. And he led.

Messi found countryman Allende on a perfectly placed long ball from midfield and Allende finished with a powerful cross-body shot to give Miami the early lead. Messi then scored the second and third goals, before assisting on second-half goals by Suarez and Picault.

Each of the five goals was followed by a joyful Messi hugging teammates and then pointing to the sky in memory of his late grandmother.

It wasn’t just the goals Messi created that were impressive, it was the way he played, running with an extra gear and directing teammates all game long.

He seemed even more motivated than usual, maybe because he is in contract negotiations and whatever ceremony the club is planning for that moment would make him feel uncomfortable if the team had continued its slide.

Perhaps he was inspired by Paris Saint-Germain’s 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan in the Champions League final earlier that day. PSG is reaching new heights without Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, but Messi reminded anyone watching Saturday that he hasn’t lost his touch.

Messi became the second player in MLS history to notch at least five goal contributions in a game multiple times in his career, joining Diego Rossi. Messi previously recorded six goal contributions (one goal, five assists) on May 4, 2024.

Over the three games last week, Messi had five goals and four assists and moved into third place in the Golden Boot race with 10 goals in 13 games. Since joining the team, he has 31 goals and 22 assists in 38 MLS games.

Now, he is back in Argentina, preparing to face Chile and Colombia in World Cup qualifying matches June 5 and 10. Argentina has already qualified for the 2026 World Cup, but that doesn’t make these two games any less important to Messi.

He will go all out, like he always does, and then head back to Inter Miami for the Club World Cup opener against Egyptian team Ah Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium.

The world will be watching to see how Messi and his team perform against opponents that Mascherano has already reminded fans are “at a much higher level” than what they have faced thus far in MLS and Concacaf.

Will he shine? Will he enjoy?

We’ll have to wait and see. But one thing is for sure. Messi loves the big stage. This should be fun.

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