Messi appears likely to play against Minnesota United on Saturday
It's looking increasingly likely that soccer fans who shelled out big bucks for a chance to see Lionel Messi take the Allianz Field pitch will get their chance on Saturday.
Minnesota United are set to host Messi's Inter Miami side in MLS action this weekend in perhaps one of the biggest soccer games ever played in the state. Widely considered one of the greatest players of all time, Messi joined Inter Miami in the summer of 2023. This will be the first time the Loons and Miami have played each other since Minnesota lost 2-1 at Miami in June of 2022.
Michelle Kaufman, who covers Inter Miami for the Miami Herald, reported earlier on Friday that Miami head coach Javier Mascherano said that star forward Luis Suarez was traveling for "personal reasons" and that an injury update would come later in the day for goalkeeper Drake Callender.
With Messi not being mentioned in that update, and Miami having their first full week of training since mid-April, it appears likely that the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner will suit up to take on the Loons on Saturday.
Neither Messi nor Suarez appeared on the team's Matchday 12 Status Report, leaving open the possibility of both playing Saturday at Allianz Field. Messi was featured in the team's Instagram story of players arriving to the team plane taking off for Minnesota.
Of note, however, is that Miami are set for a midweek game in California before returning home to take on Orlando City the following Sunday. Balancing the quick turnarounds poses the risk that Messi doesn't take the field on Saturday. But with Minnesota sitting in second place in the West (San Jose sit 10th) and Orlando being a conference foe, it's entirely possible Mascherano puts out a full-strength squad at Allianz Field before going with a rotated squad on Wednesday in San Jose.
Since joining Miami in the summer of 2023, Messi has scored 43 goals and added 25 assists in 53 appearances across all competitions for Miami. So far this season, he has scored four goals and added two assists in seven league appearances, adding another five goals and one assist during the team's run to the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals.
The Loons are coming off the back of a 1-0 win over Louisville City in the U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday. Minnesota used a squad heavily featuring players from the MNUFC2 squad to see out that win, deciding to keep their typical starters rested ahead of this weekend's clash with Miami.
The Loons will follow up their game on Saturday with a trip to Texas to take on the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday before returning home to take on St. Louis City twice in four days, once in league play and another time in U.S. Open Cup play.
Saturday's game begins at 3:30 p.m. CT at Allianz Field and can be seen on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV, and heard locally on the 1500 ESPN radio broadcast.
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