For the first time in five games, Lionel Messi made his Inter Miami comeback, coming on as a second-half substitute in Saturday’s crucial MLS showdown at home against FC Cincinnati.

Messi started the match at DRV PNK Stadium on the bench. In the 55th minute, with the score tied 0-0 and Miami needing a goal to advance to the MLS playoffs, he entered the game as Tomás Avilés’ substitution.

The 36-year-old aggravated a scar tissue injury in his leg, which has kept him out of five of Inter Miami’s last six games in addition to one for Argentina. After playing for 37 minutes against Toronto FC on September 20, he was forced to leave the game before halftime due to a leg problem. Since then, he has not been on the field.

Miami has consistently stated that Messi’s availability is determined on the outcome of the game. On Thursday and Friday, though, he exercised fully with his Miami colleagues, indicating that a return was likely.

Without the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, Miami has struggled, losing the U.S. Open Cup final to the Houston Dynamo and going winless in three MLS games.

In 12 games with Inter Miami, Messi has scored 11 goals. When he plays, the record is 8-0-4; seven of those games were during the team’s drive to win the Leagues Cup, which was its first trophy; the other came in the semifinal of the U.S. Open Cup. Since Messi joined the team, Inter Miami has played six games without him, and is now 1-3-2.

Miami faces an uphill battle to qualify for the MLS playoffs due to their waning performance without its lucky charm.

Miami is ranked 14th out of 15 teams in the Eastern Conference, with three games left, including the Cincinnati meeting. The top nine teams go to the postseason. Despite having a game in hand, the South Florida team still has to get past CF Montreal, which is in ninth place, by five points.

Messi was called up by Argentina for their World Cup qualifying matches against Peru on October 17 and Paraguay on Thursday, despite persistent worries about his fitness.