Rodrigo De Paul starting alongside Messi in Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup opener
Inter Miami fans won’t have to wait to see Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul on the field together wearing their favorite club’s uniforms.
De Paul, who this week joined his good friend Messi and Inter Miami on a four-year loan-to-buy deal with Atletico Madrid, was listed in the starting lineup for Wednesday night’s Leagues Cup opener against Liga MX powerhouse Atlas at Chase Stadium.
De Paul joins Messi and Jordi Alba, who are back in Miami’s lineup after serving their one-game suspension last Saturday for not playing in the MLS All-Star Game last week.
They will be joined by Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez as Inter Miami will play its usual lineup as the 2023 Leagues Cup champions try to open this year’s revamped tournament on a positive note.
De Paul, who is a key player on the Argentine national team, had yet to train with Inter Miami per coach Javier Mascherano, but he said he was in great shape.
De Paul’s paperwork cleared in time for him to immediately suit up for his new squad.
Inter Miami is hopeful the 31-year-old star midfielder can make an immediate impact thanks to his on-field chemistry with Messi and his overall skill and speed.
“He’s a player with a lot of quality so when you have this kind of player, you don’t need to tell a lot of things, just to put him on the pitch,” Mascherano said in an interview pregame on Apple TV. “He has a very good connection with our best player. It will be important for the team to try to play together and try to do the same things they do for the (Argentine) national team for Inter Miami now.”
Also returning to Inter Miami’s lineup is Maxi Falcon, who missed the club’s recent 0-0 draw with FC Cincinnati due to yellow card accumulation. Benja Cremaschi, who started that game at left back, is available as a reserve.
Gonzalo Lujan, Telasco Segovia, Tadeo Allende, Marcelo Weigandt and Rocco Rios Novo, who will start once again in goal for the injured Oscar Ustari, round out Inter Miami’s starting lineup.
This story was originally published July 30, 2025 at 6:50 PM.
