Inter Miami have traveled to Puerto Rico to face Independiente del Valle on Thursday, February 26, at Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium. With the 2026 Major League Soccer season already underway, fans are eager to see Lionel Messi make his first appearance on the island.
The Herons enter the match after suffering a heavy 3-0 defeat in their MLS opener against LAFC, beginning their title-defense campaign on the wrong foot. Independiente del Valle, meanwhile, have also had their schedule interrupted. The Ecuadorian first division kicked off last weekend, with El Negriazul coming off a 2–0 win over Guayaquil City in their opener.
The game was originally scheduled for Friday, February 13, as part of the Champions Tour before the MLS season began. However, Messi’s hamstring injury against Barcelona SC in Guayaquil disrupted those plans, forcing both clubs to find a new date, with Feb. 26 ultimately selected.
Is Lionel Messi playing?
After the postponement, Lionel Messi is now expected to feature against Independiente del Valle in Puerto Rico. Following Thursday’s training session, which was open to fans, the Argentina star is projected to be in the starting lineup.
Rodrigo de Paul (L), Lionel Messi (C) and Luis Suarez (R) of Inter Miami wave during a training session at Estadio Juan Ramón Loubriel.
In his pre-match press conference, head coach Javier Mascherano explained that his plan is to rotate minutes, especially for players who have seen limited action so far: “The match gives us the opportunity to give minutes to guys who perhaps haven’t seen as much action, both during the preseason and in our last league match.“
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The Argentine manager also has one eye on the upcoming MLS fixture against Orlando City on March 1. “We’re going to try to get everyone on the pitch. We need to get minutes for the entire squad, while also being careful since we have a very important match against Orlando in just 72 hours,” he stated.
“Regardless of the loss the other day, for those of us who have been here at Inter Miami for a while, the next game is always the most important—and it’s always the one you have to win,” Mascherano concluded, emphasizing that the mentality remains unchanged despite the uneven start.
Projected lineups for Inter Miami and Independiente del Valle
Inter Miami’s projected lineup (4-2-3-1): Dayne St. Clair; Facundo Mura, Gonzalo Luján, Micael, Noah Allen; Rodrigo De Paul, David Ayala; Tadeo Allende, Lionel Messi, Telasco Segovia; Luis Suárez.
Head coach: Javier Mascherano.
Independiente del Valle’s projected lineup (3-4-3): Guido Villar; Daykol Romero, Richard Schunke, Mateo Carabajal; Patrik Mercado, Jhegson Méndez, Júnior Sornoza, Justin Lerma; Djorkaeff Reasco, Matías Perelló, Carlos González.
Head coach: Joaquín Papa.
