Head coach of Inter Miami, Tata Martino, has revealed that soccer superstar Lionel Messi is unlikely to participate in any more Major League Soccer (MLS) matches for the remainder of the 2023 season. This decision comes after Inter Miami’s playoff hopes were dashed following a 1-0 loss to Cincinnati earlier this month.
Despite recovering from an injury to be available for the Cincinnati game, Messi spent only 35 minutes on the field. His inaugural MLS season ended in disappointment, marked by a series of missed matches due to a muscle injury sustained during a 4-0 victory over Toronto, which also included a loss in the US Open Cup final to the Houston Dynamo.
With just two regular-season MLS matches left, Coach Tata Martino has indicated that Messi, who is the team captain, is unlikely to participate to avoid potential risks.
Lionel Messi will not be part of the match against Charlotte scheduled for Wednesday at DRV PNK Stadium, particularly after featuring and scoring twice for Argentina in their 2-0 victory against Peru on Tuesday. The final game of Miami’s season is set to take place against the same opponent in North Carolina this Saturday.
Martino explained, “We will evaluate not only Leo but all players who are with their national teams when they return on Thursday. We are out of the playoffs, and we don’t want to run any risks.”
Despite the playoff disappointment, Miami’s overall season saw a remarkable transformation with Lionel Messi’s arrival. In just a few months, they went from being at the bottom of the MLS standings to playoff contenders, reaching the finals of the US Open Cup and winning the Leagues Cup.
With the presence of the Barcelona legend from the beginning of the next season, there is optimism within the franchise that they can climb even higher in the league standings. Coach Martino is determined to use the last two matches as a starting point for making improvements.
“We want to compete, and it’s our obligation to finish the season as best as we possibly can,” Martino emphasized. “In some way, we want to improve the image of the team from the last three or four games. And, for the coaching staff, it is important because we are getting back players we haven’t had in a while, and we can use these games to evaluate and help make decisions for next season.”
As Inter Miami looks to build on their promising season, fans eagerly await Messi’s continued influence in the next MLS campaign.