Here is the latest on Messi’s status for the game Saturday vs. Olimpia in Honduras
Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates take their preseason road show to Honduras this weekend for an 8 p.m. match Saturday against Olimpia in San Pedro Sula.
They then head back to Florida to play their final preseason game on Valentine’s Day in Tampa against MLS rival Orlando City.
Among the questions coach Javier Mascherano fielded Tuesday morning before training were two that previous coach Tata Martino got before every game: Will Messi start? How many minutes is he expected to play?
The Argentine star played 66 minutes in the preseason opener against Mexican club America in Las Vegas. He extended that to 73 minutes in the second game against Universitario in Peru and 77 minutes against San Miguelito in Panama City on Sunday.
Mascherano said nothing has been determined, but it appears likely that Messi would play more minutes on Saturday than he does in the preseason finale against Orlando because the Concacaf Champions Cup opener is Feb. 18 at Sporting Kansas City and the MLS season opener is four days later at home against New York City FC.
“He has been playing more minutes each game, and has finished the three games well,” Mascherano said of Messi. “We’ll see going forward whether he starts and how much he plays. Nobody knows their body better than Leo. We will manage his minutes based on how he feels.
“We must pay attention, especially with the Orlando game, how close it is to the [Kansas City] game. We know he feels good on the field, it is where he wants to be; so, we will do everything we can to let him play without taking any risks.”
There was one scary moment in the game against San Miguelito on Sunday, an aggressive slide tackle on Messi at the 71-minute mark by San Miguelito midfielder Aymar Cundumi, which resulted in him getting ejected with a red card.
“It surprised and worried us more than anything and it was a shame because it’s nice for the fans to get to see Leo and a play like that could end up injuring him,” Mascherano said.
Other than that moment, and the jeering at Messi by Club America fans, the 2025 preseason tour has gone more smoothly than the 2024 world tour. Last year, the team traveled 25,000 miles across five countries in the Middle East and Asia. This year, they train at home, travel just for the games, and head back immediately after.
“Being able to train at home a lot of the time has been way more useful for us,” midfielder Robert Taylor said. “Obviously, traveling always takes a toll for anyone. Being able to train at home with the climate, our families; it is an advantage. I think it’s been a huge help for us to make shorter trips to the games and be home more.”
The team has survived the preseason relatively healthy. The biggest name who has been missing is goalkeeper Drake Callender. He suffered an adductor injury during U.S. national team camp and just returned to training with Inter Miami last week.
Asked if there is a chance Callender will be ready to travel to Honduras, Mascherano said: “We will see. We are guided by the medical staff. The earlier we get him back, the better. Obviously, we want to give all our players minutes before the end of the preseason. He has not been able to train fully, and that is tough for us and for him, who should have the chance to compete at the same level as the other keepers.”
The team is also eagerly anticipating the arrival of 27-year-old Uruguayan defender Maxi Falcon, who played in Chile for Colo Colo and signed with Miami last week. His nickname is “Peluca” (wig) due to his large mop of hair.
“Finally, we were able to finalize his signing,” Mascherano said. “He is someone we targeted from the beginning of the off-season. We knew it would be difficult because Maxi was a very important player for Colo Colo the past few years and they didn’t want to lose him. But, he will help us a lot.
“He has experience. He has played at the international level in Copa Libertadores. We know him, people on my staff worked with him on other teams, so we know what he brings. He will help us fufill a quota of experienced players in the back line that is what we were looking for.”
Falcon will join the team once his visa paperwork is completed.
Recent signees Telasco Segovia and Gonzalo Lujan are also awaiting visas. Segovia, 21, is a Venezuelan midfielder who came from Portuguese club Casa Pia. Lujan, 23, is an Argentine defender who played at San Lorenzo.
Inter Miami hosts youth event in Panama
As part of their trip to Panama, Inter Miami and Royal Caribbean International teamed up to host the club’s first-ever international youth fútbol clinic for 40 young athletes from the Deportivo Italia Academy and the Fundación Casa Esperanza foundation in Panama CIty. They participated in a private training session led by Inter Miami Academy coaches Diego García and Julián Arellano.
“Today marks a special moment as we host our first-ever international youth fútbol clinic, giving back to our fans abroad in a meaningful way,” said Camila Jocelyn-Holt, Inter Miami Director of Community Engagement.