12 hours ago
Inter Miami will not feature Lionel Messi in Saturday’s away match against Charlotte FC.
Manager Javier Mascherano has decided to rest the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner along with Rodrigo De Paul, according to reports from Claro Sports reporter José Armando on X. Neither player traveled with the team to North Carolina and will not be on the bench.
Mascherano’s precautionary decision will disappoint the large crowd at the 75,000-seat Bank of America Stadium, not only because fans will miss seeing the international superstar, but also because Messi is just one goal away from reaching 900 career goals—a historic milestone previously achieved only by Messi’s former La Liga rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, who currently has 965 career goals.
Messi and De Paul are resting ahead of the second leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16 against Nashville SC, following a scoreless draw on Wednesday.
