Lionel Messi’s coach Mascherano addresses criticism of the Argentine star’s role with Inter Miami

Following the defeat between Inter Miami and Los Angeles FC, there was criticism regarding the position Lionel Messi took on the field. Now, coach Javier Mascherano has addressed the issue.

On Wednesday, Inter Miami lost 1-0 to Los Angeles FC in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals. During the match, some questioned Lionel Messi’s position on the field, as he was often required to drop deeper than usual to receive the ball. Javier Mascherano, the head coach of the team, spoke on this matter.

“I’m not concerned,” Mascherano said during a press conference on Friday when asked about Messi’s position in the last match. “He’s a player who understands the game like no one else. He must be one of the few players in the world who always does what the game asks for. If he’s deeper, it’s because he’s looking for where to receive the ball and where to make an impact.”

However, the head coach acknowledged that the overall performance of the team wasn’t good in the loss to LAFC and emphasized that this was something they needed to work on. “It’s about how we adjust with the rest of the team to create more depth, something we didn’t have the other day, and to hurt the opponent,” he explained.

“Obviously, you always want the ideal situation. But the ideal situation doesn’t exist, especially in soccer,” Mascherano added before addressing Messi specifically again. “In Leo’s case, we know that he has total freedom. He’s the player who makes the difference, and he breaks the system with that freedom to move across any part of the field.”

Inter Miami has two key objectives right now

After the 1-0 loss in the first leg, Inter Miami will face Los Angeles FC again next Wednesday with the obligation to secure a win in order to stay alive in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. However, before that, they must focus on their match against Toronto FC on Sunday in Major League Soccer.

“What we do on Sunday is important, we can’t overlook it,” Javier Mascherano warned. “The match on Wednesday is very important, one of the most important of the season, but we can’t neglect that what we do on Sunday will impact Wednesday.”

What’s next for Messi?

Lionel Messi had been sidelined for almost two weeks due to a muscle injury that prevented him from traveling to Argentina to compete in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He returned to play a few minutes last Saturday against Philadelphia Union, and played the full 90 minutes against Los Angeles FC on Wednesday.

Considering the importance of next week’s match in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, it’s speculated that Messi might be rested against Toronto FC. Javier Mascherano assured that the forward finished the last match in good shape but didn’t confirm whether the star would be available for Sunday’s match.

Credit: Bolavip US