Mascherano details Inter Miami’s fitness plan for Messi

Fresh off their run at the Club World Cup, Inter Miami made a powerful return to Major League Soccer this season. After Saturday’s win over CF Montréal, the squad hit the road Wednesday night to take on the New England Revolution in a rescheduled matchup.

With a commanding performance, they snagged all three points and climbed into fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings.

Messi plays from start to finish

After the match at Gillette Stadium, head coach Javier Mascherano took to the podium to clear up pre-game uncertainty about Lionel Messi’s involvement. The captain completed his second full game in a row, after playing the full 90 minutes against Montréal at the weekend.

“We always knew Leo was going to play,” Mascherano said during the post-match press conference. “What we hoped was that the game’s pace might give us a chance to rest him at some point—maybe pull him early. But once New England scored to make it 1-2, we chose to keep him on the field.”

Right after addressing Messi’s full-game appearance, Mascherano pulled back the curtain on Inter Miami’s strategy to manage their star player’s workload in the coming weeks.

“We’re fully aware that at some point, we’ll need to give Leo a break,” the Argentine coach acknowledged in the press room. “It’s just a matter of finding the right moment to do so—especially with tough, high-stakes matches like the two we’ve faced this week and the ones ahead.”

No rest for Messi

Messi has been in nonstop action since late April, when Inter Miami faced the Vancouver Whitecaps in the second leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals. Since then, the number 10 has played 16 consecutive matches — a grueling run that includes Major League Soccer fixtures, World Cup qualifiers with Argentina, and the Club World Cup. He completed all but two of those games - the World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Colombia.

Through this packed schedule, Messi has delivered standout performances that have reshaped Inter Miami’s trajectory. His leadership and playmaking turned the tide for the struggling squad, helping Las Garzas secure a historic Club World Cup run and earn the kind of international spotlight the franchise has long been chasing.

Back at Fort Lauderdale

After a whirlwind stretch on the road and abroad, Messi and Inter Miami squad are gearing up for a highly anticipated homecoming. This Saturday, they’ll face off against Nashville SC at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale—marking their first match on home turf since early June.

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