Lionel Messi chases No. 900 as Inter Miami plays at Charlotte FC Saturday
Inter Miami’s jam-packed road tour continues this weekend with a Saturday league game at Charlotte FC sandwiched between the two legs of the Concacaf Champions Cup.
Captain Lionel Messi and his teammates have played all eight games this year away from home as construction of Nu Stadium at Miami Freedom Park reaches completion. They played in Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Los Angeles, Puerto Rico, Orlando, Baltimore and Nashville.
The defending MLS champions got off to a rocky start with a 3-0 loss to LAFC, but they have not lost since and sit in third place in the Eastern Conference. They rallied for a 4-2 victory against rival Orlando City and beat D.C. United 2-1 in front of 72,000 fans in Baltimore.
Then, on Wednesday, they began the Champions Cup with a hard-fought scoreless tie against Nashville FC in the Round of 16. The deciding leg will be played this upcoming Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale, which will be the home fans’ first chance to see the team.
Messi has scored three goals so far and is chasing No. 900, which could come against Charlotte.
It remains to be seen whether Miami coach Javier Mascherano will play the key starters for 90 minutes or give them some rest to keep them fresh for Wednesday’s decisive Champions Cup match against Nashville.
Mascherano confirmed that forward Luis Suarez “will surely get minutes” in their upcoming matches. He came off the bench late during Miami’s opening game but did not play against D.C. or Nashville and did not travel to Orlando.
Mexican Argentine striker German Berterame is seeking his first goal with Miami after going scoreless through his first four games.
One player who won’t be available Saturday is center back Maxi Falcon, who left Wednesday’s match with a knee injury. He underwent X-rays and further testing, and the injury is not as serious as initially feared. He is expected to miss the next few games.
Falcon was replaced by Gonzalo Lujan, who stepped in and played well.
“It will be a very difficult game on the road at Charlotte, we need three points, which is important in this season,” Lujan said. “We have had so many road trips which we are getting used to, but it is challenging.”
Charlotte, meanwhile, is coming off its first win of the season, a 3-1 victory over 10-man Austin FC after a 3-0 loss to the L.A. Galaxy.
Spanish midfielder Pep Biel scored a brace against Austin and Israeli forward Idan Toklomati scored the other goal. Other Charlotte players to watch include Wilfried Zaha, U.S. national team center back Tim Ream, and goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina, the 2024 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year.
The last time Charlotte and Inter Miami faced each other, in September 2025, Charlotte won 3-0 on a Toklomati hat trick and a Kahlina save on a Lionel Messi penalty. In three regular season matches, Charlotte has held Messi to only one goal and a saved penalty.
This story was originally published March 13, 2026 at 11:45 AM.