Inter Miami coach Mascherano announces big decision about Lionel Messi ahead of Champions Cup game
Last Thursday, Inter Miami defeated Cavalier 2-0 at Chase Stadium, taking a significant step toward securing a spot in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Now, the team will travel to Jamaica with the mission of defending that advantage. Head coach Javier Mascherano announced an important update regarding Lionel Messi.
“Leo is in the call-up, he’s going to travel,” Mascherano explained during a press conference on Wednesday. “Today, he trained with the group and did all the training. The sensations were very good, and we are happy that he will travel with us to Jamaica.”
This news is crucial for Inter Miami, considering Messi had been absent for the last three games due to a muscle strain. He last played in the 3-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City in Miami in the previous round of the tournament. Messi then missed matches against Houston Dynamo in MLS and the first leg against Cavalier, and was on the bench against Charlotte FC last Sunday, though he did not make an appearance.
When asked about Messi’s potential role in Thursday’s match in Jamaica, Mascherano remained cautious. “Tomorrow, we will decide on the day of the match what is best: whether he starts or waits to come in later. We’ll see,” the coach stated. “That’s a decision we’ll make tomorrow, not today.”
Inter Miami’s sizable lead
In the first leg against Cavalier, Inter Miami secured a valuable 2-0 victory at Chase Stadium, with goals from Tadeo Allende and Luis Suarez. However, Mascherano is taking a cautious approach. “I think the same as I did before the first game. The tie is far from over. The best example is last Thursday when Cavalier caused us trouble for many moments,” he said.
“The best way to close the playoffs is not to speculate, but to go for the win with our weapons, our tools, and not to focus on the result,” the Argentine coach added. “Of course, we know we have a favorable advantage, and we will make it count, but that does not mean we will play with the result in our minds. That would be the worst thing we could do. For us, the match is 0-0, and we will go looking to score one goal, then another, and try to win the game.”
Inter Miami’s upcoming challenges
Should Inter Miami secure their qualification to the next stage of the CONCACAF Champions Cup on Thursday against Cavalier in Jamaica, they already know their quarterfinal opponent: Los Angeles FC. The California-based team eliminated Columbus Crew on Tuesday with a 4-2 aggregate score to advance to the next round.
These potential matchups against Los Angeles FC are scheduled between April 1 and 10. Before that, however, the Herons will have a couple of MLS matches to contend with. On Sunday, they will visit Atlanta United, the team that eliminated them from the 2024 Playoffs.
Then comes the international break in March, during which many players will join their respective national teams, including Lionel Messi, who will represent Argentina in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. MLS action will resume on March 29 when Inter Miami host the Philadelphia Union at Chase Stadium.
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