Lionel Messi has rewritten countless records since arriving in MLS, and this weekend offers another opportunity to etch his name deeper into Inter Miami history. As the Herons prepare to host Toronto, one of the league’s strugglers, Messi stands on the brink of surpassing a historic club record—currently held by one of his former Argentina teammates.
Yet, as enticing as the milestone might be, the decision whether he will even feature this Sunday is anything but straightforward.
Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano faces a tactical dilemma. With the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal second leg against LAFC looming on Wednesday, Mascherano must decide how much to gamble with his star man in Sunday’s regular-season match.
Miami trails 1-0 on aggregate after the first leg loss in Los Angeles. Given the tournament’s rules—where aggregate score and away goals determine who advances—the Florida side must win by at least one goal without conceding to push the game to extra time. A 2-1 or higher-scoring one-goal victory would see LAFC advance on away goals.
Mascherano has kept his cards close to his chest regarding rotation, but it is expected that some key players will be rested against Toronto. “We have to manage our squad carefully. Every minute matters when you’re playing two must-win games in a matter of days,” the manager told the media.
One goal/assist from history
Even if the Argentine superstar is limited to substitute minutes, the stakes on an individual level are monumental. In Inter Miami’s 2-1 win over Philadelphia Union last week, Messi recorded his 23rd regular-season goal, which brought him level with club icon Gonzalo Higuain for the most goal contributions in Inter Miami history: 43 in total.
However, the difference in how the two players reached that milestone is striking. While Higuain, a former Real Madrid and Juventus forward, needed 67 games to achieve 43 goal involvements, Messi has equaled the mark in just 28 matches.
Higuain’s legacy and the torch being passed
The record the 37-year-old now threatens to break was set by Gonzalo Higuain, who joined Inter Miami during its infancy in MLS. Despite a rocky start, Higuain led the team in scoring in 2021 and 2022, with 12 and 16 goals respectively. He also helped Miami reach its first-ever MLS Cup playoff appearance in 2022 and retired as the club’s all-time top scorer.
His connection with Messi stretches beyond club soccer. The two shared the pitch for Argentina in 75 international appearances, including major tournaments like the FIFA World Cup and Copa America.
As of now, Messi is already the club’s all-time assist leader with 20 and is just seven goals away from surpassing Higuain as Inter Miami’s all-time leading goalscorer as well.
