Lionel Messi will miss 'at least' three games this season with Inter Miami, coach says
Fans inside Red Bull Arena paid at least hundreds of dollars for the chance to see soccer great Lionel Messi make his MLS regular season debut, and while they were lucky to see him play and score, others won't be this year as his coach said he will miss games this season.
Before Inter Miami's 2-0 victory over the New York Red Bulls Saturday night, there was doubt Messi would play after head coach Tara Martino said his star was "reaching an important physical limit."
After sitting out the first half, Messi came in as a substitute in the 60th minutes and scored after setting up the goal on a spectacular pass to secure the win.
Tato Martino: Messi will miss games
After the win, Martino told reporters his team will have to get used to winning without Messi, as he will miss at least three games this season due to his national team duties.
"The importance is that we value winning and winning this way because it's something we have to get accustomed to. Leo is gonna miss at least three games," Martino said. "He's gonna get called up by his national team and others too. We know that the team has to continue to win without them at times."
Since his debut with the club on July 21, Messi has played in nine games with 11 goals and six assists.
Messi's upcoming schedule
Martino didn't specify which games Messi will miss, or if he'll miss games due to rest, but it will serve as a blow to the people spending loads of money for the chance to see him play.
The next time Inter Miami takes the field will be Wednesday when it hosts Nashville SC in a Leagues Cup title rematch. After that, Inter Miami's schedule includes:
- Sept. 3: at Los Angeles FC
- Sept. 9: home vs. Kansas City
- Sept. 16: at Atlanta United
Messi could miss any of the next four MLS matchups as he will be with the Argentina national team for World Cup qualifiers. Argentina will face Ecuador on Sept. 7 and Bolivia on Sept. 12.