Messi fans in Chicago hope to see him Sunday vs. Fire after no-shows the past two years
Lionel Messi fans in the Chicago area have been waiting three years for a chance to see their hero play against the Fire at Soldier Field. They might finally get that chance on Sunday afternoon.
Two years ago, a record sellout crowd of 61,000 showed up, but Messi was injured and stayed home. Last year, fans were heartbroken again, as Messi did not travel to the game, but the Fire was prepared for the possibility of another Messi no-show. The 55,385 fans who bought tickets were told that if Messi didn’t play, they would receive credit and other perks.
This time, Messi and his high-profile teammates are coming off an emotionally and physically draining Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal win over LAFC on Wednesday. Messi scored twice, and they rallied from 2-0 down to win 3-2 on aggregate and advanced to the semifinals, where they will face the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano would not disclose which players would start or play Sunday, but suggested his key players would be ready.
“If they are feeling fine, they will play, by feeling fine, I mean 100 percent physically and mentally,” Mascherano said. “If any of them are not, they will rest, but our idea is to put the best out there.
“It was the same against Toronto last week. [Some] may have questioned us playing with The Big Four [Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets] in that game, and yes, sometimes you must manage minutes, but the team dynamics and getting good results are also important. Those four help us a lot with leadership on game days. We want to manage the load but also use them as much as possible.”
First-year Fire coach Gregg Berhalter, the former U.S. national team coach, suspects Messi will play. After missing a stretch of games and the international break with injuries, the Argentine legend has four goals and an assist over the past three games and is playing with unbridled passion.
“Guys like that play,” he said.
This game will be a measuring stick for the Fire, Berhalter said, and it is not about trying to shut down Messi and Suarez.
“They’re too good,” he said. “It’s about limiting the damage and how do we hurt them when we have the ball. They showed vulnerability against LA, but defensively we can be at our best and still get hurt. If you do one thing wrong, you get punished.”
Chicago went on a five-game unbeaten streak, including a 3-1 road win over Western Conference leader Vancouver, before losing 2-1 to the New York Bulls. The Fire ranks third in MLS in scoring with 14 goals over seven games. Miami has 12 goals over six games.
Among the Fire players to watch are Belgian Hugo Cuypers, who has scored five goals and has two assists, and Jonathan Bamba of the Ivory Coast, who scored against NYRB.
The Fire is expected to be without center backs Jack Elliot and Sam Rogers, who are both injured.
“We know Chicago is going to a very difficult opponent, they are doing very well in the league, other than the loss the last game to the Red Bulls, they were coming off a good stretch,” Mascherano said.
“We will have to be in top form, physically and mentally. We will put out the best 11 possible. Even though we all thoroughly enjoyed the game Wednesday night, we can’t think about that. The season continues, and we must turn our focus to Sunday.”
Inter Miami is eager to get back to the top of the Eastern Conference after slipping to second place with a tie against Toronto. Although it is early in the MLS season and the Champions Cup has higher stakes at the moment, Mascherano and his four former Barcelona teammates (Messi, Suarez, Alba and Busquets) are not used to settling for second place.
“The thing that has impressed me most about them so far is their hunger and work ethic, even though they are some of the biggest names in the sport and have won everything,” said 18-year-old Ecuadorean forward Allen Obando, who joined the team a few weeks ago. “When you see them on TV it’s one thing but seeing them in person at training and in games, you realize how hard they are working and how much they still want to win.”
How to Watch: Inter Miami vs. Chicago Fire kicks off at Soldier Field Sunday at 4:30 p.m. Fans can watch on Apple TV MLS Season Pass.
Notes: Argentine midfielder Baltasar Rodriguez got his visa, trained with the team for the first time on Friday and is available to play against Chicago, Mascherano said. “Baltasar is a player we know, I had him on the Argentina youth national team, and he will help us a lot. He has characteristics we could use. He needs time to get adjusted.”…Midfielder Yannick Bright, who appeared to suffer a mild leg injury in the game against LAFC, trained separately from the group on Friday. His status for Sunday is unknown…The Apr. 26 home game vs. Dallas FC was pushed to Apr. 27 at 5 p.m. to give Inter Miami an extra day of rest after flying home from Vancouver following the Apr. 24 Champions Cup semifinal. Tickets already purchased for the 26th will be honored the 27th.
This story was originally published April 12, 2025 at 1:26 AM.