Lionel Messi is set to be involved from the start as Inter Miami open their Leagues Cup campaign at home against San Luis on Wednesday, with head coach Guillermo Hoyos confirming the Argentine captain is fully available following his return from international duty at the 2026 World Cup.
Messi already made his comeback for Inter Miami on August 2, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 2-2 draw against Columbus Crew, a match in which he twice went close but could not find the net.
That appearance was largely about managing his return to action after the tournament, but Hoyos is now expected to hand him a starting role for Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup opener, lining him up alongside Rodrigo De Paul.
Speaking in a press conference, Hoyos addressed the state of his squad ahead of the tournament. “Everyone is available. Obviously (German) Berterame still isn’t. We now have more or less the recovery of all the players, and that’s very important,” the coach said.
Heavy absences up front for Miami
As Hoyos already noted, German Berterame will not be part of Miami’s Leagues Cup debut. The Mexican forward is still recovering from a left shoulder and nose injury sustained in a hard collision during a match against CF Montreal, which required an overnight hospital stay before he was discharged.
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While Inter Miami have not set a firm return date, Hoyos gave an encouraging update, saying Berterame is “spectacularly well” and hinting the forward could be back on the field before long.
Things look far less promising for Luis Suarez, who will be unavailable for the entire tournament. The Uruguayan is serving a six-match Leagues Cup suspension handed down after a spitting incident following Inter Miami’s 2025 final defeat to Seattle Sounders, ruling him out of the whole 2026 edition.
With Hoyos forced to navigate at least the Leagues Cup opener without Berterame and Suarez, Tadeo Allende will not be an option either. The forward successfully underwent arthroscopy on his right knee in May 2026 and remains in recovery. With so many absences up front, the coach is likely to pair Messi with Mateo Silvetti in attack for the Herons.
