Inter Miami's Mascherano Hopeful for Messi's Return Against Charlotte FC

Inter Miami CF head coach Javier Mascherano is feeling hopeful about Lionel Messi potentially joining the lineup for Sunday’s match against Charlotte FC at Chase Stadium. While optimistic, Mascherano emphasized he won’t take unwarranted risks with Messi, especially at this crucial point in the season. “Leo is feeling much better,” he commented on Saturday. “We’re hopeful that if all goes well, he’ll be ready to join the roster. However, I can’t confirm anything just yet, as we still have training sessions ahead.”

Messi has been absent from two recent Inter Miami games, watching from the sidelines as his team secured a 4-1 victory against the Houston Dynamo on March 2 and a 2-0 win over Cavalier FC in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16 on March 6.

Mascherano chose to rest the Argentine star due to fatigue from playing three matches in seven days, aiming to prevent any injuries.

Since then, Messi has participated in significant portions of training for Sunday’s match. The media observed the initial 15 minutes of Saturday’s session, where Messi was seen warming up and practicing with his teammates.

“Of course, as a coach, I want Leo to play because his presence makes us a stronger team. It’s common sense, isn’t it?” explained Mascherano. “But we have to evaluate situations on a daily basis and ensure all players, especially Leo, are at their best physically before fielding them.”

Inter Miami has had an undefeated start to the 2025 season, securing four wins and a draw across all competitions. The team managed to win two of those without Messi, an achievement Mascherano appreciated.

“Everyone from players to staff must recognize the significance of stepping up when Leo is absent,” he remarked. “It’s a collective effort to compensate for such a key player. Ideally, I would prefer him on the field at all times to keep us at our strongest,” he added.

Inter Miami is set to face off against Charlotte at Chase Stadium and will then travel to Jamaica to compete against Cavalier in the return leg of the round-of-16 series on Thursday, March 13.