Lionel Messi is injured, Inter Miami preseason game in Puerto Rico postponed
Lionel Messi sustained a muscle strain in his left hamstring during last Saturday’s match against Barcelona SC in Ecuador, which has persisted, the club announced on Wednesday.
The Argentine star underwent additional medical tests that confirmed the diagnosis. He was absent from Wednesday’s training session.
“His gradual return to training will depend on his clinical and functional progress in the coming days,” said the release from the club.
Due to Messi’s injury, Friday’s final preseason game, which was scheduled to be played in Puerto Rico against Ecuadorean club Independiente del Valle, was postponed until Feb. 26, five days after the MLS season opener on the road against Los Angeles FC.
“The club, in collaboration with the event promoter and the government of Puerto Rico, believe shifting the match will allow for the best experience for fans in Puerto Rico,” said an Inter Miami news release.
There was also a comment from Messi, who said: “Unfortunately, I felt some muscle tightness in the last match, but we were really looking forward to seeing you, so together with the club we worked on finding an alernative date to be able to travel and play in Puerto Rico. We knew the excitement and the desire you have to watch an Inter Miami match and it will be very special to make it happen soon.”
The open training session originally set for Thursday will take place on Feb. 25. Tickets for the match will remain valid for the new date. If ticketholders are unable to attend on the new date, they can request a refund through www.ticketera.com/contactanos
Messi scored his first goal of the preseason last Saturday in Ecuador in a 2-2 tie against Barcelona SC. He left the game in the 57th minute, which is earlier than he left the previous game in Colombia, and was seen having a short talk with coach Javier Mascherano as he left the field, a possible sign that he felt some sort of minor discomfort.
With the MLS season opener at LAFC nine days away, Messi’s health is of upmost importance and the coaching staff will not take any chances.
Forward German Berterame, a dual Argentine and Mexican citizen, was also absent from training as he awaits his U.S. work visa. He was able to play, and he scored, in last weekend’s game in Ecuador because he is eligible to play away from U.S. soil.
Telasco Segovia did not attend training, either, as he is in Venezuela finalizing green card paperwork. Uruguayan center back Maxi Falcon, who did participate in practice Wednesday, is also finalizing his green card paperwork. The hope is all those players will be available for the season opener and the postponed Puerto Rico match.
One key player who did get his visa and will be available Friday is Argentine winger Tadeo Allende, who signed a long-term contract in the off-season after spending last season on loan from Spanish club Celta de Vigo. Allende struggled at times last season and admittedly lost some self-confidence, but he came on strong at the end and peaked during the playoffs. He set an MLS record with nine games during the playoffs and was a big reason Inter Miami lifted its first MLS Cup trophy.
Allende’s stock rose with his playoff performance, so there was a bidding war for him in the off-season between Inter Miami and Argentine club River Plate. It made for a stressful few months, he said on Wednesday after training.
“It was complicated and difficult mentally because I wanted to be here and I had to wait for all the paperwork,” Allende said. “To come back here was the best thing for me. I remember the first day I came back and all my teammates greeted me so warmly. Having to wait through the negotiations was intense. I tried to focus on other things because otherwise I would not have been able to enjoy my vacation and my family.”
He added that he remained in shape working out on his own, but it was not easy.
“I was stuck in Argentina, training by myself, which is not the same as being with your teammates,” he said. “Once the contract was signed, everything got much more relaxed. I am so happy to be here. There will be pressure on our team to repeat as MLS Cup champion and to win everything and we have a strong team to do it with new players who will help.”
Miami has one win, one loss and one tie through three preseason games in South America, after a 3-0 loss to Peru’s Alianza Lima, a 2-1 victory over Colombia’s Atletico Nacional and the 2-2 tie to Ecuador’s Barcelona SC.
Inter Miami kicks off the 2026 MLS season at LAFC on Feb. 21. Inter Miami will play its first five games on the road and then inaugurate the new Miami Freedom Park stadium on April 4 against Austin FC.
This story was originally published February 11, 2026 at 10:44 AM.