Messi issues: MLS media criticize lack of access & transparency

Lionel Messi’s injury has become a significant concern for both Inter Miami and Argentina. The soccer star has been sidelined since his country’s Copa America 2024 victory in mid-July. The injury has left fans and pundits alike questioning when the 37-year-old will return to the pitch.

During Argentina’s Copa America triumph, the veteran suffered a right ankle injury. It has kept him out of action for an extended period and disrupted his participation with Inter Miami. It also led to his exclusion from Argentina’s squad for the World Cup Qualifiers against Chile and Colombia in September. The Argentine Football Association announced a 28-man squad for these qualifiers. However, Messi’s name was notably absent, sparking concerns about his recovery and future availability.

The injury has also significantly impacted the Herons, where the Argentine has been a key player since joining. The team has been without their star player for several crucial matches. Despite the absence of Messi, Inter Miami has managed to perform relatively well. The club has won six out of the seven MLS games he missed. However, the one loss during this period was a heavy 6-1 defeat against Cincinnati.

Speculation grows amid return date talk

Initially, there was hope that he might play some minutes against the Chicago Fire on Aug. 31. However, the more realistic target for his comeback appears to be Miami’s home fixture against Philadelphia Union on Sep. 14. The team is hoping that Messi will be healthy for the crucial parts of the season. This encounter might be a landmark in his recuperation.

Either way, the MLS media has started to express its displeasure with the lack of openness around the superstar’s injury.

“The lack of transparency here is not only alarming, but it’s upsetting,” said ESPN analyst Herculez Gomez on ESPN FC’s Futbol Americas show. “Inter Miami is playing by a whole set of rules that the rest of MLS doesn’t have to play by. [The other teams] have to disclose their injuries and timelines, but not Inter Miami. Now I’m starting to think, how serious is this injury? And how worried should we be about him going forward?”

“The local media, we have requested to have some time with [Messi], to have a press conference, to have something,” said Michelle Kaufman earlier this year when she appeared on Miami Herald’s Inside Inter Miami podcast. 

Inter Miami has not made Messi available to speak with reporters since August 2023. 

“It’s a big void in the coverage of Messi and this team that we don’t ever get his perspective on anything,” Kaufman continued. “I know that the league, the team, and everyone have to do whatever Messi says, but it’s a disservice to the fans that [they] never get his perspective.”

League rules state all players must be available to speak with reporters 15 minutes after each game. MLS claims that Messi does not violate league media access rules.

MLS media silence from Messi hinders Miami’s efforts

“Messi has never been one to talk much — especially if it is not with friendly and flattering Argentine press that is hand-picked by him and his internal team of handlers — but his lack of media availability has clearly hindered the ability for Inter Miami to maximize the rare opportunity to regularly enter the daily conversation in a U.S. sports landscape that still continues to largely ignore futbol and — more importantly from an American soccer standpoint — MLS,” said Franco Panizo, an Inter Miami beat reporter, and host of the Miami Total Futbol podcast.

“Behind the public curtain of glitz and glamour that you see on Apple productions and on social media lies an uncomfortable truth for the Mas brothers and David Beckham. Inter Miami is still largely an afterthought in South Florida. Only one of the three English language newspapers in the tri-county area covers arguably the sport’s greatest player of all time. It’s a painfully clear sign that Inter Miami has failed to grab the attention of a wider American audience.

“Most local TV stations in both languages dedicate limited resources and air-time to discussing the team, and there is a general apathy about Inter Miami’s daily happenings from the larger local public aside from matchdays. What’s more, the members of the press that regularly attend the training sessions that are usually open for an uneventful 15 minutes can be counted on one hand.”

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