Lionel Messi has sent a message of condolences after the city of Bahia Blanca (Argentina) was devastated by flash floods, killing at least 16 people.
The disaster was caused by heavy rains in the Argentine port city on March 9, when flash floods caused severe damage and claimed many lives. The eight-hour downpour destroyed bridges and roads and forced thousands of people to flee their homes.
To express solidarity with his compatriots, the captain of the 2022 World Cup-winning Argentina team, Lionel Messi, sent a message to share on social media.
On his personal Instagram page, Messi wrote: “We are deeply saddened to follow the situation in Bahia Blanca. We send our deepest condolences to the families who have lost loved ones and wish everyone a lot of strength to overcome this difficult moment.”
Much of southwestern Buenos Aires is without power, while at least 1,200 people have been forced to evacuate. More than 400mm of rain fell in the city in a single day, a third of the country’s annual average. Images showed cars swept away by floodwaters.
“We have to rebuild an entire city. Many people have lost everything,” provincial minister Carlos Bianco told a local radio station.
As for Messi, he has not played for Inter Miami since the CONCACAF Champions Cup match against Kansas City on February 26. The Barcelona legend could return this Friday, when Miami faces the Cavaliers in the second leg of the round of 16.
Speaking after Inter Miami’s 1-0 win over Charlotte in round 3 of MLS 2025 on March 10, coach Javier Mascherano shared about Lionel Messi’s situation as well as the reason he was not on the field:
“In fact, we had planned to bring Lionel Messi on at a certain point. However, after the team had to play with one less player (Ustari received a red card in the 38th minute) and he had been out for quite a while, we decided to keep Messi on the bench to avoid any risks.
