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Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul have rejoined Inter Miami following over a week away after Argentina's defeat in the 2026 World Cup final, and both players could see action on Saturday when the club hosts Columbus Crew at Nu Stadium.
While the Herons have managed back-to-back victories against the Chicago Fire and CF Montréal without their Argentine stars, the pair—especially Messi, the back-to-back MLS MVP—significantly raise the team's ceiling as they push to take the top spot in the Supporters' Shield standings.
Having resumed training earlier this week following their absence and missing the MLS All-Star Game, the availability of Messi and De Paul against Columbus remains uncertain. Nevertheless, their return brings renewed optimism to a squad currently riding the best run of regular season form in club history, with six consecutive victories.
"We've been in communication about that. He only just arrived back. We haven't really had the opportunity to sit down for a proper discussion yet," Miami head coach Guillermo Hoyos told reporters in Spanish on Friday. "We're truly delighted to have them back at the club. It's wonderful to see them here again."
Despite sitting out the last two fixtures, Messi remains firmly in contention for the MLS Golden Boot with 12 goals across 14 appearances, just one behind FC Dallas striker Petar Musa for the league lead. He is also the frontrunner for the midseason MLS MVP Award, having recorded 20 goal contributions in those same 14 matches.
If neither he nor De Paul features on Saturday, their next chance to play would arrive Wednesday in Inter Miami's opening match of the 2026 Leagues Cup—a competition the club claimed in 2023—against Liga MX side Atlético San Luis.
"I think it's extremely challenging, simply due to the sheer number of matches; there's going to be a serious fixture congestion over the coming weeks, leaving almost no time to breathe or recover," Hoyos added. "It's essentially: game, rest, game, and repeat. It's demanding; the fixture load is intense and really wears on you; competition itself takes a lot out of you."
Casemiro: Messi is a 'God' of Soccer
The week has brought a heightened energy to Inter Miami's training sessions as the full squad reassembles. It has produced the first on-field moments between newly signed midfield star Casemiro and the likes of Messi, De Paul, and Luis Suárez, among other key players.
After making an impressive MLS debut in a 1–0 away victory over CF Montréal last weekend—despite having not yet trained with the squad—Casemiro now has a full week of sessions behind him and was officially unveiled to around 500 fans at Nu Stadium on Thursday.
At his unveiling, he described Messi as "one of the gods, if not the god of football," calling it "incredible" to have shared the training pitch with him over the past two days.
"Having faced Leo as an opponent before, I already knew how impossible he was to deal with, but these two days have given me tremendous motivation to keep improving and keep winning," he added. "Honestly, I'm loving every moment of this, and I'm glad to finally be on his team. I want to keep savoring this experience."
POV: Morning greetings with the squad 😁☀️ pic.twitter.com/1ZAodv1BW4
With Casemiro's arrival, Miami strengthens the center of the pitch, allowing De Paul to shift into a more advanced, attack-oriented role on the right side of midfield. Meanwhile, Casemiro assumes the central defensive midfield responsibilities that De Paul had taken on following Sergio Busquets' retirement.
"Many people believe MLS still has a long way to go, but you have to keep in mind that the best player from the last World Cup is playing in this league," Casemiro said of Messi's impact.
"Leo was the standout player of the World Cup, and he's here in MLS. All I want is to enjoy this, give everything I have to feel comfortable on the pitch, because for me he is the greatest player in the world, and he has arrived at this stage of his career."
While the Herons remain under MLS investigation for potential tampering in the signing of the Brazilian veteran, it is evident he will be a cornerstone of the club's future—and managing owner Jorge Mas has denied any wrongdoing in the acquisition, despite the club's prior difficulties in signing players.
"We entered into no negotiation or discussions with Casemiro or his representatives before speaking with the league and with the LA Galaxy about how we could be given the go-ahead," Mas said. "The allegation is that we violated the rule while we were in talks with the Galaxy. An accusation was made, but we did not tamper in any way whatsoever."