Inter Miami are in a crucial stretch of the 2025 season. After securing a spot in the Leagues Cup semifinals, where they’ll face Orlando City, the team is now focused on climbing the Major League Soccer standings. Ahead of the trip to face DC United, head coach Javier Mascherano spoke about Lionel Messi.
“Leo is not going to travel,” Mascherano confirmed during Friday’s press conference in Miami, according to Diario Ole, before the team departed for Washington ahead of Saturday’s match against the Eagles.
Explaining why Messi will sit out a game that could prove vital in helping the Herons move closer to the top of the Eastern Conference standings, the coach was clear about the team’s current priorities. “Leo will rest because of the trip, because of everything that comes with it. And because of the importance of Wednesday, so we’ll take it day by day,” said Javier.
Mascherano was referring to the upcoming Leagues Cup semifinal against Orlando City when he mentioned “the importance of Wednesday.” The two Florida teams will square off at Chase Stadium for a place in the title match, where they’ll face the winner of the other semifinal between LA Galaxy and Seattle Sounders.
Lionel Messi was sidelined during the Leagues Cup game between Inter Miami CF and Tigres UANL at Chase Stadium.
The Argentine coach knows Messi’s presence could be decisive in securing a positive result against Orlando City. In fact, Inter Miami played that same opponent just 12 days ago without Leo — who was sidelined with a physical issue — and suffered a tough 4-1 defeat.
see also
Lionel Messi reportedly tries to lure Argentine player to Inter Miami, but one key obstacle holds up deal
What’s going on with Jordi Alba?
Just as Lionel Messi missed Inter Miami’s most recent match against Tigres UANL due to physical issues, Jordi Alba joined the injury list during that same game. The Spanish left back started and even played a role in the build-up to Luis Suarez’s opening goal, but had to be substituted early in the second half due to discomfort.
“Jordi took a knock. If you watch the replay, thank God it turned out to be something minor — it could’ve been a lot worse,” Mascherano said when asked about the defender. “Hopefully he continues to recover. As of yesterday, the area was still quite swollen. It’s a knock on the inner part of the knee.”
Alba missed Friday’s training session due to the injury and has also been ruled out for Saturday’s match against DC United in MLS. The coach’s priority is ensuring he recovers fully to be available for Wednesday’s clash with Orlando City.
Mascherano reflects on Inter Miami’s 2025 season
During the same press conference, Javier Mascherano shared his thoughts on Inter Miami’s performance throughout the season. “If there’s one thing we can’t blame the players for, it’s the way they’ve been competing this year,” he said. “We’ve played 40 games, we’re the team that’s played the most, and we’re still pushing toward our goals.”
Finally, the coach highlighted the mental resilience of the Herons. “We’ve had to deal with different situations. The biggest show of character is probably when we have to play important matches without our best player,” Mascherano said, referring to games Lionel Messi has missed — including Wednesday’s clash with Tigres.
