Messi expected to play at least 45 minutes for Inter Miami vs. Orlando City in Tampa
Lionel Messi is expected to play at least 45 minutes on Friday night at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, as Inter Miami faces its final preseason test against Orlando City before official competitions begin next week.
Miami coach Javier Mascherano did not specify how he would manage minutes for Friday’s game, considering the team opens the Concacaf Champions Cup four days later on the road at Sporting Kansas City, but he said the aim is for all players to get “as many minutes as possible”, keeping in mind the upcoming game at Kansas City and the MLS season opener Feb. 22 at home against New York City FC.
Messi played 66 minutes against Club America in Las Vegas, 73 minutes against Universitario in Peru, 77 minutes against San Miguelito in Panama and 63 minutes against Olimpia in Honduras last Saturday. The Argentine captain had a goal and a pair of assists in that game. He is expected to play at least 45 minutes on Friday, according to a source.
“It is important the players arrive at the game in Kansas [City] in rhythm,” Mascherano said. “We will manage minutes accordingly.”
It will be the second time this week that Messi appears at an NFL Stadium, as he attended the Super Bowl in New Orleans with his teammates Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets.
Asked how he evaluates Messi’s performance so far this preseason, Mascherano smiled and replied: “The same as always. I don’t know any version of Leo that isn’t superior. The years keep passing and he continues to surprise us with his level and his desire to compete.”
Mascherano dismissed the suggestion that the club would restrict Messi’s minutes this year due to the crowded schedule. He said once the Concacaf Champions Cup and MLS season begin next week, he does not anticipate any limitation of playing time for Messi or the other headliners such as Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
“Obviously, as it is the preseason, we try to be cautious because the players came in after a two-month layoff and we did not want to take any kind of risk,” he said. “Not only Leo but the other players too, who are not used to having such a long off-season,” he said.
“They have never had it in their career. In their 20 years of career, it is the first time they meet with two months of stoppage. So it would be crazy to make them play every minute of preseason. There was no need to do it. Clearly, when the real matches begin, that will change. But I think we got to the last preseason game against Orlando in the best way.”
Inter Miami is undefeated through four preseason games under Mascherano, who replaced Tata Martino after his unexpected resignation following Miami’s first-round exit from the MLS playoffs.
Other Inter Miami news:
▪ Alba, who did not travel to the game Saturday in Honduras, is back from a minor injury and was training with the team on Tuesday. Alba sustained the injury during the game against Universitario in Peru on Jan. 29 and aggravated it during the game in Panama on Feb. 2. “It was nothing serious, but because it is preseason, we don’t want to take any risks, so he was held out of the game in Peru,” Mascherano said.
▪ Goalkeeper Drake Callender is back to full training after recovering from an adductor injury and is expected to be on the game roster Friday for the first time this preseason. Callender was injured while with the U.S. national team in a January camp.
▪ Midfielder David Ruiz left the field in Honduras in the first half because his leg started falling asleep, a condition the Miami native has been dealing with for some time, said Mascherano. “David has a situation where after a certain number of minutes playing, he starts to feel like his leg is falling asleep,” the coach explained, adding that the club is trying conservative treatments and would prefer to avoid an invasive treatment.
▪ Defender Tomas “Toto” Aviles and midfielder Fede Redondo were absent from training because they were in Argentina working on immigration paperwork toward obtaining their green cards. Aviles missed the game in Peru due to concussion protocol following a knock during training last week.
▪ The club introduced its latest “Euforia” home jersey, which features vertical stripes of two different pink hues (like the Argentina jersey, but with pink stripes). Fans are invited to a special season kickoff celebration in collaboration with Royal Caribbean at Wynwood Marketplace (2250 NW 2nd Ave, Miami) on Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Players Benja Cremaschi and Fafa Picault will be there and the new shirt will be available for the first time at Inter Miami’s pop-up store. Admission to the event is free, but RSVP is required through this link at the team website intermiamicf.com
▪ The national teams of Guatemala and Honduras will play a friendly on Sunday, March 16 at 3 p.m. The game is part of the preparation for the preliminary round of the Concacaf Gold Cup. Tickets will be available starting Wednesday at intermiamicf.com
This story was originally published February 11, 2025 at 10:48 AM.