Lionel Messi could play in Inter Miami's season finale at Charlotte FC on Saturday
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami have an inconsequential match remaining on the MLS regular season schedule Saturday.
But it appears Messi, who has recovered from injury, will travel and potentially play in the match.
Inter Miami will face Charlotte FC on Saturday at 6 p.m. inside Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Inter Miami is no longer in the MLS postseason race, so it will be their final game of Messi’s first season with the club.
And after missing matches in Atlanta, Orlando and Chicago in the last month, fans in Charlotte could benefit from seeing Messi take the pitch one more time this season.
How to watch Messi, Inter Miami match today vs. Charlotte?
The game will be broadcast by Apple TV. Kickoff is 6 p.m.
Messi says he will play in Charlotte
Messi said he intended to play in the match after his recent outing, where he scored two goals to lift Argentina past Peru late Tuesday night.
“I will train, I will play our remaining upcoming match,” Messi said during a sideline interview with TyC Sports and TVP after the Peru game.
Messi did train with his Inter Miami teammates on Friday, and assistant coach Javier Morales said the 2022 World Cup champion and seven-time Ballon d’Or winner will travel with the club to Charlotte.
It is unclear whether Messi will start or come off the bench, but Messi will be available for selection in Inter Miami’s lineup.
How did Messi fare in his last three matches?
Messi appears 100 percent healthy after Argentina’s 2-0 win over Peru last Tuesday. He scored in the 32nd and 42nd minutes, and was determined for a hat trick that did not come to fruition. He appeared sharp and back in shape, playing from start to finish for the first time since a right leg injury with Argentina on Sept. 7 hampered him for much of the last six weeks with Inter Miami.
It was a drastic improvement from his previous two appearances: Messi’s rust showed as he hit the crossbar twice in Argentina’s match against Paraguay on Oct. 12. One of those instances included a free kick on goal, which Messi has routinely made since joining Inter Miami this summer.
Still, it was a better outing than his Inter Miami return against FC Cincinnati on Oct. 7, when he didn’t have a shot on goal. Inter Miami lost 1-0, the club’s first loss with Messi in the lineup that ended their MLS postseason hopes.
“We are very happy that he is back, that he is back to his 100%. We’re gonna see what happens at tomorrow's match,” Inter Miami assistant Javi Morales said.
Why Messi’s decision to play in Charlotte is unique
Along with the match being inconsequential for Inter Miami, Messi’s decision to play at Charlotte FC is pertinent because it’ll be the first match he plays on artificial turf in the MLS.
While MLS commissioner Don Garber said he hoped MLS teams playing on turf would roll out a grass surface on top of it, Charlotte was quite vocal in being against the notion just for Messi.
“All of our Major League Soccer matches are scheduled to be played on turf and there is no plan to change to natural grass,” Charlotte FC said in a July statement.
During Messi’s first and only Inter Miami press conference in August, he appeared open to the idea of playing on turf.
“All of my lower leagues, I’ve always played on turf,” Messi said.
“That was a long time ago and it’s been a long time since I played on synthetic turf. But I have no problem adapting to turf again.”
What are Leo Messi’s plans for the offseason?
Messi also detailed his plans for his offseason after the Peru match.
But he forgot to mention participating in Inter Miami’s two international friendlies against Chinese super teams in early November.
“I will train, I will play our remaining upcoming match and I will try to get here [to the national team] in the best possible way for November [qualifying matches],” Messi said.
“After that, I will enjoy the holidays in Argentina. It’s the first time that I am going to have more days off in December, with the holidays, with peace of mind, with my people. In January, I will return again to do preseason. Start from scratch and prepare as best as possible as always.”
Messi, Inter Miami going to China
Inter Miami will play two friendlies in China on Nov. 5 and 8 to capitalize on Messi’s worldwide brand while enhancing its own globally.
Inter Miami will play Qingdao Hainiu F.C. in Qingdao, China on Nov. 5 at the Qingdao Youth Football Stadium on Nov. 5.
And Inter Miami will face Chengdu Rongcheng in Chengdu, China on Nov. 8 at the Phoenix Hill Sports Park.
Messi will likely return to the Argentine team for matches against Uruguay on Nov. 16 and Brazil on Nov. 21.
