Messi Sidelined: The Real Reason Behind Inter Miami's Star Absence Against Charlotte FC

Lionel Messi will be absent from Inter Miami's away fixture against Charlotte FC this Saturday.

Head coach Javier Mascherano has opted to rest the eight-time Ballon D'Or recipient alongside Rodrigo De Paul, as confirmed by Claro Sports journalist José Armando via X. Both players are excluded from the squad entirely, having not made the trip to North Carolina with the team.

This cautious decision by Mascherano will surely disappoint the massive crowd expected at the 75,000-capacity Bank of America Stadium, particularly given that supporters will miss witnessing the global icon in action, and because Messi stands just one goal short of reaching 900 career goals - a legendary achievement previously accomplished only by his former La Liga adversary Cristiano Ronaldo, who currently has 965 career strikes.

Both Messi and De Paul are being preserved for the return leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16 tie versus Nashville SC, following their goalless first-leg encounter on Wednesday.