Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi has expressed his desire to feature for the Herons in their final Major League Soccer (MLS) game this season. Gerardo Martino’s side will return to MLS action for the last time this season on Sunday night (October 21), with them traveling to the Bank of America Stadium to take on Charlotte FC.
Messi, 36, scored both of Argentina’s goals as they beat Peru 2-0 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on October 17. His stellar outing made Miami fans excited for Wednesday’s (October 18) match against Charlotte at the DRV PNK Stadium. Much to the fans’ disappointment, however, the Argentina icon was not named in the lineup in Miami’s final home game of the season.
Lionel Messi Eager To Play Inter Miami’s Final MLS Game This Season
Messi has not started for Miami since being taken off in the first half in the 4-0 win over Toronto FC on September 20. He recovered from a scar tissue problem to make a cameo against Nashville on October 7 but could not prevent them from succumbing to a 1-0 defeat.
The Barcelona icon supposedly does not want to end his season on such a disappointing note, with him saying he will take to the field this weekend. When asked whether he will play in Vice City’s MLS closer, Messi said (via ESPN):
“I’ll play the game that is left now.”
His confirmation came after Inter Miami played out a 2-2 draw with Charlotte on Wednesday. Having returned from Peru earlier in the day, Messi sported a casual white t-shirt as he spent time on the bench speaking to his teammates.
Martino Yet To Authorize Messi’s Involvement
Although Messi said he would play against Charlotte, coach Martino did not confirm the same in the post-match presser. He said that he would talk to Messi and only play him if he was 100% ready for it.
The former Argentina and Barcelona coach said:
“Tomorrow we’ll talk with him, but the most important thing here is the 90 minutes that were played … that he felt well, and he was confident and not worried about his injury. We’ll talk again to see if he’s ready to play again.”
Messi has played 13 games for Miami this season, scoring 11 times and providing five assists. His contract with the club runs until December 2025.
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