When is Lionel Messi’s next game? Inter Miami star’s MLS title defense continues

Lionel Messi is still making history at 38 years old, remaining a cornerstone and captain for both Inter Miami and the Argentina national team. With the 2026 Major League Soccer season now underway, fans are wondering when they’ll see the forward back in action.

Lionel Messi’s next match with Inter Miami is scheduled for Saturday, April 11, when the Herons host the New York Red Bulls in just the second game at Miami Freedom Park, now known as Nu Stadium. He heads into the fixture off the back of a header in the 2-2 draw against Austin FC at the new venue.

As for international duty with Argentina national team, Lionel Messi is set to return to action during the June international window. Before the World Cup gets underway, the Albiceleste are scheduled to face Serbia in a friendly, though the exact date has yet to be confirmed.

The 2026 MLS campaign has only just begun for Messi, who has featured in seven official matches so far across all competitions, scoring six times without registering an assist. The opener came against LAFC, who handed Inter Miami a 3-0 defeat in front of a packed crowd at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Lionel Messi and the task of defending the World Cup title

The year 2026 will be especially significant for Messi, not only because of Inter Miami’s ambitions but also because he’ll head into the 2026 World Cup aiming to defend the title. The triumph in Qatar in 2022 marked one of the defining peaks of his career, and now in North America he’ll enter another tournament wearing the champions’ badge for the first time.

Drawn into Group J, Argentina will open its campaign against Algeria on Tuesday, June 16, in Kansas City at Arrowhead Stadium. The second match will be against Austria on Monday the 22nd in Arlington at AT&T Stadium, before closing the group stage against Jordan on Saturday the 27th, also in Texas.

The Argentina FA has announced that the national team will base itself in Kansas City during the tournament, though training facilities have yet to be confirmed. Expected to be his final World Cup appearance, Messi will have a chance to add to his record haul with a squad coached by Lionel Scaloni that remains one of the strongest in international soccer after winning the last World Cup and back-to-back Copa América titles.