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USA Today
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Lionel Messi in Jamaica: Cavalier vs. Inter Miami in Champions Cup live updates
Lionel Messi in Jamaica: Cavalier vs. Inter Miami in Champions Cup live updates Show Caption Hide Caption Messi 'never imagined' he would achieve what he has Lionel Messi says his dream was only ever to be a professional, and thanked God for all his success Stats Perform Video Lionel Messi could potentially return to action on Thursday night as Inter Miami faces Cavalier FC in the second leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup round-of-16 showdown. Messi and Inter Miami arrived in Jamaica on Wednesday night to a hero's welcome, where he was greeted off the plane by Olivia Grange, Jamaica's Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport. Messi was also featured on the front and back covers of the Jamaica Observer newspaper on Thursday, with a photo of Grange presenting Messi with a t-shirt of Bob Marley playing soccer. I was delighted to meet Lionel Messi as he arrived at the NMIA tonight with his Inter Miami Club members for their return game tomorrow against Cavalier Football Club in the Concacaf Champions Cup. — Hon. Olivia 'Babsy' Grange (@Babsy_grange) March 13, 2025 Messi's game status is up in the air before the match: It's unclear whether he will start or come off the bench for Inter Miami, or even play at all despite traveling with the team. Messi has missed Inter Miami's last three games due to fatigue, but could be needed against the eager Jamaican Premier League champions at National Stadium in Kingston. Inter Miami leads the Champions Cup series against Cavalier with a 2-0 aggregate score. How to watch Cavalier FC vs. Inter Miami match on Thursday? The Cavalier FC vs. Inter Miami match will be available to watch on FS2 in English, and on TUDN and ViX in Spanish. What time does Cavalier FC vs. Inter Miami match begin? The match begins at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. in Jamaica, 9 p.m. in Argentina). Is Messi playing tonight in Jamaica? It's possible Messi could play, but a formal decision will be known when Inter Miami announces its starting lineup about an hour before the match begins. Messi arrives in Jamaica with Inter Miami Jamaica's Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment, and Sport, Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, extended a warm welcome to football legend Lionel Messi as he arrived in the country with his Inter Miami teammates. The Argentine superstar landed at Norman Manley International Airport at… — Jamaica Observer (@JamaicaObserver) March 13, 2025 Good morning from Jamaica 🇯🇲🗞️ — Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) March 13, 2025 How many games has Messi missed? Messi has not played in the last three Inter Miami matches, but was anticipated to return off the bench last Sunday at home against Charlotte FC. However, Inter Miami was forced to play with 10 players after goalie Oscar Ustari was given a red card and ejected in the first half of the match. Instead of playing without a goalie, Mascherano substituted midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi out of the match for backup goalie Rocco Ríos Novo. Mascherano said he didn't want to risk playing Messi in the match while down a player. Messi did not travel to Inter Miami's 4-1 win against the Houston Dynamo on March 2, and did not play in Inter Miami's first leg against Cavalier FC last Thursday. Messi predominately played in three matches during a six-day stretch from Feb. 19-25, and eight matches in a 40-day span from Jan. 18 to Feb. 14, including five preseason matches played in Las Vegas, Peru, Panama, Honduras and Tampa, Florida. Messi's upcoming schedule with Inter Miami, Argentina After Inter Miami returns from Jamaica, they will have a rematch Sunday against Atlanta United — the club that eliminated them in upset fashion from the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs last season. It will be Inter Miami's last match before the FIFA international window opens for World Cup qualifiers. Messi is expected to join the Argentine national team for two matches: Argentina visits Uruguay on March 21, then Argentina hosts Brazil on March 25. Inter Miami's last match of the month will be on March 29 at home against the Philadelphia Union. Who will Inter Miami or Cavalier FC face in next round of Champions Cup? The winner of the Inter Miami-Cavalier FC matchup will meet LAFC in the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup. The quarterfinal series will begin in early April.
USA Today
07-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Messi day-to-day with fatigue, Inter Miami coach says. When will Messi play again?
Messi day-to-day with fatigue, Inter Miami coach says. When will Messi play again? Show Caption Hide Caption Messi 'never imagined' he would achieve what he has Lionel Messi says his dream was only ever to be a professional, and thanked God for all his success Stats Perform Video FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Lionel Messi is considered day-to-day with fatigue, Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said Thursday night after the Argentine World Cup champion missed his second straight game for rest. Messi watched Inter Miami beat Cavalier FC 2-0 in the first leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup round-of-16 match in an on-field suite at Chase Stadium with his wife and children. Mascherano said Messi is not injured, but dealing with the effects of logging significant minutes to start the 2025 season. Messi predominately played in three matches during a six-day stretch from Feb. 19-26, and eight matches in a 40-day span from Jan. 18 to Feb. 14, including five preseason matches played in Las Vegas, Peru, Panama, Honduras and Tampa, Florida. 'We decided to give him a rest, knowing the risks we run, obviously, of not having the best player in the world,' Mascherano said after the game against Cavalier, the reigning Jamaican Premier League champions. Mascherano did not divulge whether Messi would play in Inter Miami's next match, at home against Charlotte FC at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, or the second leg against Cavalier next Thursday. Inter Miami will face Cavalier at National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica, where a sold-out crowd of 35,000 people are expected to see Messi play. 'Day-to-day,' Mascherano said when asked about Messi's status for Inter Miami's next two matches. 'The doctors have told me that he has no injury. … He is fatigued from having played three games in six days,' Mascherano added. When Inter Miami returns from Jamaica, they will travel to face Atlanta United on March 16 in a rematch of last season's first-round series in the MLS Cup playoffs, which saw Messi and his side lose in upset fashion. Messi is also expected to join the Argentine national team for two World Cup qualifying matches later this month. Argentina will visit Uruguay on March 21, then host Brazil on June 25. Messi's upcoming schedule with Inter Miami, Argentina Messi could play in the following six matches with Inter Miami and the Argentina national team later this month:
USA Today
06-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Inter Miami vs. Cavalier FC live updates: How to watch Messi in Concacaf Champions Cup
Inter Miami vs. Cavalier FC live updates: How to watch Messi in Concacaf Champions Cup Show Caption Hide Caption Messi 'never imagined' he would achieve what he has Lionel Messi says his dream was only ever to be a professional, and thanked God for all his success Stats Perform Video FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Will Lionel Messi play as Inter Miami returns to action in the Concacaf Champions Cup tournament tonight? Messi's playing status is a topic of discussion as Inter Miami hosts Jamaican Premier League champions Cavalier FC on Thursday night at 8 p.m. inside Chase Stadium. Here's what we know: Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said Messi is healthy and practiced with his teammates, but did not divulge whether Messi would play. Messi's status is essentially 'the same as the rest of the players.' 'We'll see,' Mascherano said of Messi on Wednesday. 'He's in good health, but we'll see what's good for us.' What's good for Inter Miami is obviously Messi returning to action after he did not travel for last Sunday's match against the Houston Dynamo. Inter Miami opted to rest Messi because of the congested start of the year where he predominately played in three matches during a six-day stretch from Feb. 19-26. If Messi plays Thursday night, it will be his first match in nine days. However, it also begins another stretch of three matches in a week for Inter Miami. On Sunday, Inter Miami hosts Charlotte FC in an MLS regular-season match. Next Thursday, Inter Miami will complete its round-of-16 matchup with Cavalier FC at National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica — where Messi is expected to play his first match in the country in front of an already sold out crowd of 35,000 ticket buyers. Stay tuned here as USA TODAY Sports provides live updates from tonight's match between Inter Miami and Cavalier FC. Messi's status will be confirmed when Inter Miami announces its starting lineup, about an hour before the game begins. The match begins at 8 p.m. ET (9 p.m. in Argentina). The match will be available to watch on FS2 in English and ViX in Spanish. What to know about Cavalier FC? Cavalier FC is playing in the Champions Cup tournament for the second time in as many years. They qualified directly into the round of 16 by winning the Concacaf Caribbean Cup in December. The matchup against Inter Miami will be the second time Cavalier has faced MLS competition. Cavalier lost to FC Cincinnati by scores of 2-0 and 4-0 in the first round last year. Cavalier FC coach and sporting director Rudolph Speid said Wednesday: 'We're really looking forward to doing well. I think it will inspire a generation of players in Jamaica itself, just because of what will happen. We'll play them here. Everybody will be watching on TV. And, also in the return leg where we expect a packed stadium, and everybody just talking about the game. That inspiration is much more for the country than just our team.' Messi could play in the following six matches with Inter Miami and the Argentina national team later this month:
