Lionel Messi’s participation in Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup semifinal against Orlando City will be decided on game day. The club confirmed that the Argentine star trained with teammates on Tuesday.
Assistant coach Javier Morales stated that both Messi and Jordi Alba will be evaluated before the match on Wednesday night.
“Jordi and Leo trained with us and finished the session. We’ll assess how they feel as the day goes on, and make a decision tomorrow,” Morales said.
He described Messi’s training as “super positive,” suggesting the star will likely be part of the squad.
The winner of the Miami-Orlando match will go on to face the victor of the other semifinal between the Los Angeles Galaxy and Seattle Sounders in Sunday’s final.
Messi played a key role in leading Miami to the 2023 Leagues Cup title earlier this season.
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However, Messi missed last week’s quarterfinal win over Tigres due to a minor injury and did not participate in Saturday’s draw against DC United.
Alba, who left the Tigres match with a knee injury, participated in practice alongside Messi on Monday and Tuesday.
Messi’s last appearance for Miami was as a substitute against the Galaxy on August 16, where he scored and assisted in the victory.
Orlando defender Alex Freeman said the team will maintain the same mindset regardless of Messi’s presence: “We’ll go out there to give our best and try to win.”
Inter Miami’s head coach Javier Mascherano will miss the match due to a red card received in the Tigres game.
Orlando has won both encounters against Miami this season, with a combined score of 7-1, including a 4-1 victory earlier this month.
Orlando coach Oscar Pareja emphasized that the team is energized for this match, saying, “We have the same energy, strength, and desire that we’ve always had in derbies.”
Morales added, “It’s probably the most important clasico that we’re going to play so far.”
Published on Aug 27, 2025