Inter Miami coach Mascherano addresses Lionel Messi’s fitness after ‘mandatory rest’ vs. Cincinnati

Lionel Messi is set to feature in another tournament with Inter Miami in the 2025 season, this time in the Leagues Cup, a competition he helped the club win during his debut year in Florida. Ahead of their opening match, head coach Javier Mascherano spoke about Messi’s fitness following the “mandatory rest” that kept him out of the MLS game against FC Cincinnati.

In recent weeks, Messi made headlines for skipping the MLS All-Star Game, which led to an automatic one-game suspension in accordance with league rules. As a result, both Messi and Jordi Alba missed Saturday’s scoreless draw against Cincinnati at Chase Stadium.

According to Mascherano and Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas, neither player was happy about the suspension. Looking ahead to Wednesday’s Leagues Cup opener against Atlas, Mascherano was asked whether Messi would return. “If they don’t suspend him again, he’ll be available,” Mascherano said with irony on Tuesday’s press conference.

Mascherano then gave a more serious response regarding Messi’s fitness and the unintended benefits of the rest: “Let’s hope he’s super motivated. The truth is that, as I said after the game against Cincinnati, we weren’t expecting the suspension. Even if we didn’t want it, we were forced to give him rest after many consecutive matches.”

He added that the time off could help Messi stay sharp for a grueling stretch. “In a way, the break actually did him good, helping him face this new marathon of games we’re about to have, starting with the Leagues Cup and continuing with MLS — so that he’s a bit fresher,” Mascherano added.

Since returning from the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 earlier this summer, Inter Miami have picked up four wins, one draw, and one loss in MLS play. With Wednesday’s Leagues Cup match set for Chase Stadium against Atlas, fans expect to see Messi back on the field nearly two weeks after his last appearance.

Messi breaks his runs of appearances

2025 has been a rollercoaster year for Lionel Messi, who started the season between the MLS and the CONCACAF Champions Cup with limited minutes, sometimes being rested between games. The Argentine forward also suffered two injuries, also forcing him to lose two games with the Argentina national team, but Messi’s recent form has been great.

Since Inter Miami’s elimination in the Champions Cup against Vancouver Whitecaps in April 30, Messi performed every single minute of Inter Miami games including 12 MLS games, and the 4 games in the Club World Cup, completing the 90 minutes in every single one of them (he only had a limited participation in the Argentina games against Chile and Colombia). Against Cincinnati, that clean run has been interrupted, not due to fitness reasons, but after the suspension he suffered.