Houston Dynamo’s ‘gift’ response to Messi’s Miami absence

This Saturday, it was confirmed that Lionel Messi did not travel with Javier Mascherano’s Inter Miami ahead of their match against Houston Dynamo on Sunday, March 2, at Shell Energy Stadium. This game had been highlighted on the calendar as the marquee matchup of Week 2 in the 2025 Major League Soccer season, but the Argentine star will be rested by the Herons’ head coach.

The news comes as a major disappointment for soccer fans in Space City, who had been eagerly awaiting the chance to see the iconic No. 10 from Barcelona and Argentina’s national team in action. Now, they’ll have to settle for a Dynamo vs. Inter clash without him. In light of the situation, the home team released an important message via its official X account.

“The Houston Dynamo are excited to host Inter Miami CF at Shell Energy Stadium on Sunday evening. The recently shared player status report for the match did not include forward Lionel Messi, but it has been reported he did not make the trip to Houston. Unfortunately, we have no control over who plays for our opponent.”

The Orange organization added:

“We look forward to hosting everyone tomorrow for what will be an incredible atmosphere and celebration of soccer for the city of Houston. To show our appreciation, fans who attend tomorrow night’s match can claim a complimentary ticket to a future Dynamo match this season. Additional details will be provided early next week.”

Inter Miami could suffer in Houston

The Herons will head into Dynamo territory without Messi, looking for their first win of the 2025 MLS season after drawing 2-2 at home against New York City FC. Like Mascherano’s squad, Ben Olsen’s side also failed to win on Opening Day, though their setback was even more painful — they suffered a 1-2 defeat to FC Dallas at Shell Energy Stadium.

This will be a serious test for Mascherano and his players, who could face a tough challenge against a Texas side featuring talented players such as Griffin Dorsey, Jack McGlynn, Ezequiel Ponce, Amine Bassi and Nicolás Lodeiro.

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