The resumption of the 2026 MLS season sees Inter Miami host Chicago Fire on Wednesday, only three days after the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina in New Jersey. While Robert Lewandowski might play, the chances of seeing Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul suit up this week are extremely low―but Gregg Berhalter would never underestimate the Argentine stars’ competitive nature.
“You know, I have a lot of respect for Inter Miami,” Berhalter said in response to Bolavip during his Monday press conference. “They have a great squad, they’ll most likely be missing a couple players in (Lionel) Messi and Rodrigo De Paul, although you never know with Messi and Rodrigo De Paul, I wouldn’t be surprised if they somehow played in the game.“
Messi and De Paul are among the Argentine players who didn’t fly back to Buenos Aires after the World Cup final, in which a 10-man Albiceleste side lost to Spain 1-0 in extra time.
However, neither of them is expected to return to club action soon. Messi will reportedly travel to his native Rosario to rest and spend time with his family after a grueling World Cup run, whereas De Paul’s immediate plans remain unknown.
Lewandowski expected to make MLS debut with Chicago in Miami
Despite Berhalter’s cautious approach, Messi and De Paul are most likely to miss Inter Miami’s first games after the World Cup. Meanwhile, Lewandowski is expected to make his MLS debut for Chicago in Miami.
Why was Chicago Fire vs Vancouver Whitecaps postponed and when will the MLS match be played?
“We’ll see on Wednesday how long he can play,” Berhalter said of the Pole superstar, who arrived in the Windy City as a free agent after his contract with FC Barcelona expired.
Asked by Bolavip if Lewandowski’s arrival puts Chicago on the same level or at least closer to the defending MLS Cup champions, Berhalter said Wednesday’s game could be a good measuring stick, even if Messi and De Paul don’t play.
“Well, we’re going to see on Wednesday night where we are, right?” Berhalter said. “But for us, we just want to keep getting better. One thing I can tell you about Robert is, (he has a) tremendous work rate. When you think about a guy coming into the team who was jet lagged all last week, and he’s pushing the guys in training. We’re doing fitness stuff, he’s pushing that, he’s doing extra work.
“So you can see why he’s been a pro, and you can see why he’s scored more goals than anyone in Europe in the last 15 years, because he’s an absolute pro on the field and in the training sessions. He’s been high quality, scoring goals, and he looks like a great player.”
Kickoff between Inter Miami (9-4-2, second in the East with 31 points in 15 games) and Chicago Fire (8-2-4, third with 26 points in 14 games) is set for Wednesday, July 22, at 7:30 PM (ET) at Nu Stadium in Miami.
