The October international break sees Lionel Messi‘s Argentina playing two friendly matches on U.S. soil. The first is scheduled for this Friday against Venezuela at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, while the second was originally set to take place Monday at Soldier Field in Chicago, against Puerto Rico. However, that plan has now changed due to last-minute adjustments.
Ongoing social unrest in certain U.S. cities prompted organizers to move the match out of Chicago. As previously speculated, the game will now also be played in Miami, but not at Hard Rock Stadium. Instead, it will take place at Chase Stadium, the home of Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.
The stadium change wasn’t the only modification to the event. The date has also been moved, with the Argentina vs Puerto Rico match now scheduled for Tuesday, October 14, instead of Monday. However, the kickoff time has yet to be confirmed.
These adjustments give Lionel Scaloni more time to work with the squad and, more importantly, extend the rest period for his players. That could be crucial in the context of long transatlantic travel during the season and increasingly packed schedules.
How could the change to the Puerto Rico match affect Messi?
Lionel Messi’s situation during the October international break is highly unusual. He was called up by Scaloni, as he normally is, and trained with Argentina alongside his teammates throughout the week. However, there’s a possibility he could still play for Inter Miami against Atlanta United on Saturday night.
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The Herons have that pending match in Major League Soccer and won’t have a break despite the international window. In any other scenario, that would automatically rule Messi out of club action, but since the game is being played in the same city where he is currently with Argentina, there’s a chance an exception could be made.
One factor working against this possibility was the tight turnaround between Argentina’s matches and Inter Miami’s. The national team will face Venezuela on Friday — although Messi is not expected to be in the starting lineup — and Inter Miami play Atlanta United on Saturday.
Originally, Messi was set to have only 48 hours of rest between the MLS match and Argentina’s next friendly against Puerto Rico. But now that the international fixture has been moved to Tuesday, the forward gains an extra day of rest — which could be a decisive factor in determining whether he plays.
What did Scaloni and Mascherano say about Messi’s situation?
One reason speculation about Messi’s potential appearance against Atlanta United has grown is the public comments made by both Argentina and Inter Miami coaches when asked about the situation.
Lionel Scaloni, far from denying the possibility, responded cautiously and vaguely. “I’ll talk to him today. At the moment, it’s all speculation,” said the Argentina coach during Thursday’s press conference in Miami.
And Javier Mascherano, when asked the same question on Friday morning, gave an equally careful response. “Messi can play at any time. I can’t speak about something hypothetical because he’s not with us, and honestly I haven’t talked to Leo. We’ll see what happens tonight,” explained the coach of the Herons.
