Inter Miami Coach Confirms Lionel Messi Is Done With 2023 MLS Season

The manager of Inter Miami, Tata Martino says Lionel Messi is unlikely to play in any MLS matches for the rest of the 2023 season.

According to the coach, the decision to rest Lionel Messi was made after Inter Miami’s 1-0 home loss to Cincinnati earlier in the month, which kept them out of the playoffs.

Messi had to recuperate from an injury to be available for that particular game, but he only played 35 minutes of the match.

He had missed the previous four games due to a muscle injury he had sustained during a 4-0 victory over Toronto, which included a loss to the Houston Dynamo in the US Open Cup final, so his first season in Major League Soccer ended in disappointment.

Coach Martino had said that to minimize any possible risks, team captain Messi is not expected to play in the two regular season MLS matches that remain.

Even though Lionel Messi played and scored twice in Argentina’s 2-0 win over Peru on Tuesday, he won’t be available when Inter Miami takes on Charlotte at the DRV PNK on Wednesday. This Saturday, the 36-year-old 7 times Ballon d’Or winner won’t also be available during Inter Miami’s season finale which is set to take place in North Carolina against Charlotte.

Martino said, “We will evaluate not only Leo, but all players who are with their national teams when they return Thursday, as we are out of the playoffs, and we don’t want to run any risks.”

On the current aim of Inter Miami, the coach added, “We want to compete and we must finish the season the best we possibly can.

“In some way, we want to improve the image of the team from the last three or four games.

“And, for the coaching staff, it is important because we are getting back players we haven’t had in a while, and we can use these games to evaluate and help make decisions for next season.”