Lionel Messi set to play in Miami’s season opener in Los Angeles

Inter Miami CF head coach Javier Mascherano confirmed Lionel Messi will be available to feature in the Major League Soccer season opener against Los Angeles FC on Saturday night.

“Messi is fine; he’s been training at the same level as the rest of the team all week,” said Mascherano on Friday. “He’s been doing well and has had very positive feelings. So, he’s going away well prepared, just like the rest of the team.”

The forward’s participation in this match was originally in doubt after suffering a muscle strain in his left hamstring during the preseason game against Barcelona SC on February 7. Though Messi started the friendly, he left the pitch in the 58th minute to watch from the sidelines.

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Inter Miami subsequently chose to reschedule the final preseason friendly against Independiente del Valle in Puerto Rico to Feb. 26, instead of the original date of Feb. 13.

Messi has returned to training with the rest of the squad since suffering the strain.

The coach later emphasized that “all players who traveled with the team” to California will be available for selection, including newly signed Designated Player Germán Berterame and now-permanent Inter Miami figure Tadeo Allende.

Mascherano went on to admit that the team expects a difficult game against LAFC, given the caliber of players on both sides of the field.

“It’s clear, though, that they are two great teams, and of course, given the caliber of their players and what they represent in the league, they are two teams that, on paper, should be contenders,” said Mascherano.

“You always imagine the ideal game, and the ideal game for us would be the complete opposite of that, a back-and-forth affair. It would be about controlling the game, having long spells of possession, and preventing Los Angeles from making transitions because they need to get forward quickly.”

Inter Miami enters the 2026 campaign as the reigning MLS champions, having lifted the 2025 MLS Cup by defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps. The team will now compete in the Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup and Campeones Cup in addition to the MLS regular season.