The recipient of the Ballon d’Or on eight occasions has grappled with physical ailments during Inter Miami’s pre-season, having seen limited playtime since facing off against Al-Hilal. Messi was notably absent from the match against a Hong Kong XI, sparking controversy and fan discontent. Nonetheless, he did manage to participate for 30 minutes during the Herons’ defeat on penalties to Vissel Kobe in Tokyo.
Martino, speaking to the Miami Herald, remarked, “I think it was an even game, they played better in the first half, they had opportunities to score and we improved as the game progressed in the second hal. After yesterday’s training session, Leo told me he felt good and we made the decision to put him in for 30 minutes. He was happy after the game because he said he felt comfortable there.”
Inter Miami’s pre-season campaign has been lacklustre, securing only one victory out of six encounters, which was against a Hong Kong XI. Their journey commenced with a scoreless draw against El Salvador, followed by a 1-0 defeat to FC Dallas, and significant losses of 4-3 and 6-0 to Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr, respectively. Despite the setbacks, they are favoured by bookmakers to clinch the MLS title this season, bolstered by star-studded talents such as Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets supporting Messi.
The Herons are slated to face Messi’s former team, Newell’s Old Boys, in their final friendly prior to commencing their MLS campaign against Real Salt Lake on February 21. Whether the Argentine will be fit to start in either fixture remains uncertain.
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini
This season he played in total 6 times for 372 minutes for Major League Soccer.
Lionel Messi scored 1 goal for Inter Miami. He procured two assists. He received no yellow cards and no red cards.
His team is currently 14th in Major League Soccer. In the last match Inter Miami drew 0-0 against Vissel Kobe.
Inter Miami performance and stats
It will be Inter Miami ended the league in the 14th position with 34 points.
In the last 34 games, it has won 9 times, drawn 7 times, and lost 18 times. In its last match, Inter Miami lost 1-0 against Charlotte.
It has a negative goal difference after scoring 41 goals and conceding 54.