FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Lionel Messi could make his return from injury for Inter Miami on Saturday night against the Philadelphia Union.
Messi has been nursing an adductor strain in his left thigh. He felt discomfort during Inter Miami’s last match at Atlanta United March 16, and he did not join Argentina for World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay March 21 and Brazil on Tuesday.
Inter Miami coach Mascherano said “Messi is doing well” and “if nothing happens” during Friday’s training session, Messi “should be available” Saturday.
It will be Inter Miami’s first match in 13 days so Messi and his Barcelona running mates Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba should be fresh. But how much will Messi play?
“He knows his body very well, and the reality is that he has been training progressively more and more, and has joined in to do some training sessions with the group. And today he will do the entire training session,” Mascherano said before Friday’s practice.
Stay tuned here for live updates on Messi’s status and the Inter Miami-Philadelphia Union match from USA TODAY Sports.
How to watch Inter Miami vs. Philadelphia Union live stream?
The Inter Miami-Philadelphia Union match begins at 7:30 p.m. ET inside Chase Stadium, and will be available to live stream on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.
Is Messi in Inter Miami lineup tonight vs. Philadelphia?
Messi is expected to be on Inter Miami’s matchday roster for the Philadelphia game. His participation will be confirmed when the club announces its starting lineup an hour before the match.
Inter Miami vs. Philadelphia preview, prediction
Inter Miami 2, Philadelphia 1: Messi has both assists, one to Luis Suárez and another to an Inter Miami youngster in another victory for the Herons.
Philadelphia may sit atop the MLS Eastern Conference with 12 points from a 4-1-0 (win-loss-draw) record while Inter Miami trails with 10 points in the standings, but Inter Miami has been unbeaten in eight matches across all competitions with seven wins and a draw.
Messi has four goals and two assists in five appearances, while Suárez has four goals and four assists in eight appearances. Midfielder Telasco Segovia has three goals and an assist in four MLS appearances, and Fafa Picault has scored a goal in three appearances for Inter Miami. They will be without Tadeo Allende (injured), who has four goals in eight matches.
Union forward Tai Baribo leads with six goals, while defender Kai Wagner leads with four assists.
Lionel Messi meets Novak Djokovic at Miami Open
How does Messi’s return impact Inter Miami’s upcoming schedule?
Saturday begins a five-match stretch for Inter Miami over 16 days, so expect Messi’s potential playing time to be limited as he makes his return.
Inter Miami will play LAFC in the first leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The club will host Toronto FC April 6, then host LAFC in the second leg of their matchup April 9. Inter Miami will play on the road at the Chicago Fire April 13, ending the five-match stretch.
What is Lionel Messi’s injury?
Inter Miami said Messi had an MRI, which revealed he has a ‘low-grade injury in the adductor muscle” on March 17, a day after he scored a goal to help Inter Miami win 2-1 at Atlanta.
Before the Atlanta match, Messi scored a goal March 13 during his return from a three-game layoff to help Inter Miami advance past Jamaican side Cavalier FC in the Concacaf Champions Cup tournament.
Messi did not play in the club’s 4-1 win against the Houston Dynamo March 2, the first leg against Cavalier March 6, or against Charlotte FC March 9.
Messi predominately played in three matches during a six-day stretch from Feb. 19-25, and eight matches in a 40-day span from Jan. 18 to Feb. 14, which included five preseason matches to start the year.
Will Lionel Messi play in the 2026 World Cup?
Messi has not yet declared whether he will play again for Argentina in World Cup 2026, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. He’s slated to participate in the FIFA Club World Cup this summer with Inter Miami during a break in the 2025 MLS season.