FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba practiced with Inter Miami for the first time this week, coach Javier Mascherano said, before their highly anticipated match against first-place FC Cincinnati on Saturday, July 26.
Inter Miami is still awaiting whether Messi and Alba could face a one-game suspension for skipping the MLS All-Star Game in Austin, Texas earlier this week.
Alba, who suffered a knock and was a late substitution in Inter Miami’s 5-1 win against the New York Red Bulls on July 19, may have a better excuse to avoid suspension than Messi, who Mascherano said has felt the fatigue from an overworked schedule in recent weeks.
“He showed normal fatigue from the number of games and minutes he’s been playing,” Mascherano said. “Look, players always have [minor injuries], especially when they play every three days. But luckily, he’ll be back [Friday].
“Let’s hope he can train with the group so we can count on both of them for [Saturday’s] game. We haven’t received any notification so far.”
Messi has played every minute in 22 of 23 matches since April 2, with his lone absence in a 4-3 loss at home to FC Dallas on April 27.
Since Inter Miami’s first match in the FIFA Club World Cup on June 14, Messi has played nine matches in a 35-day span without missing a minute.
“Miami has had a schedule that is unlike any other team. Most of our teams had a 10-day break. Miami hasn’t. We had Leo playing 90 minutes in almost all the games that he’s played. We have to manage through that as a league. [At] the same time, we do have rules, and we have to manage through that as well,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said during his midseason press conference before the All-Star Game.
“So, we would have loved to have Leo here. We’d have loved to have every player that was selected for the All-Star team here. And after this All-Star Game, we’ll figure out what needs to happen this weekend.”
Inter Miami’s match against FC Cincinnati, which beat them 3-0 on July 16, could again pit Messi, the 2024 MLS MVP, against Evander, a leading candidate along with Messi for 2025 MVP award.
Cincinnati sits atop the MLS Supporters’ Shield standings with 48 points, while Inter Miami is fifth place in the Eastern Conference with 41 points. Inter Miami has three games in hand to play this season due to their congested schedule.
How to watch Messi, Inter Miami vs. FC Cincinnati match?
The match on Saturday, July 26 will be played at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. It will be available to live stream on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.