Will Messi Take the Field as Inter Miami Battles Nashville in Crucial CCC Round of 16 Showdown?
Inter Miami prepare for the return leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16 matchup on Wednesday, with fans anxiously awaiting news about Lionel Messi's participation in the crucial encounter.
The South American star played in the opening leg versus Nashville SC—a scoreless stalemate that keeps the tie perfectly balanced heading into the decisive meeting in Florida—but was absent for the weekend's Major League Soccer draw against Charlotte FC.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or recipient's brilliance and creativity were sorely missed, and his involvement could be pivotal for Miami as they aim to advance to the Champions Cup quarterfinal stage.
Therefore, will Messi be ready to face Nashville this Wednesday?
Will Lionel Messi Face Nashville on Wednesday?
Will Lionel Messi Face Nashville on Wednesday?
Concerns regarding the fitness of both Messi and fellow Argentine Rodrigo De Paul, who also sat out the weekend stalemate, have been eased by Miami manager Javier Mascherano. The key pair are in "excellent shape" for the return leg, according to their coach, who confirmed they were simply given rest against Charlotte.
"Obviously, Rodrigo and Leo didn't make the trip [to Charlotte], and indeed, it was a choice we made collectively with them," stated Mascherano on Tuesday. "We believed we had excessive travel scheduled, considering it was an artificial surface, always challenging at Charlotte, we preferred they skip the journey, recuperate, and avoid another trip.
"We've been on the road frequently over the past month and a half, due to these nine fixtures in six weeks between preseason and season opener. Leo and Rodrigo are also in excellent shape, like the entire squad except Maxi [Falcón]. Maxi is our only unavailable player."
Miami advanced to the Champions Cup semifinal last campaign but were eliminated by Vancouver Whitecaps, against whom they secured satisfying payback in the 2025 MLS Cup championship.
Messi and his teammates will be hoping for success in this year's continental tournament, and defeating Nashville on Wednesday would represent a massive stride toward that goal. Should they reach the quarterfinals, they'll face either Philadelphia Union or Mexico's Club América.
Messi has netted seven goals across 11 previous Champions Cup outings but boasts an even more impressive record versus Nashville. He's recorded a remarkable 15 goals and four assists in merely 11 encounters against the Tennessee club.