Lionel Messi did not have to go far to join the Argentine national team for the Copa America. The 36-year-old went to Fort Lauderdale to join his national teammates for what will be his quest for a second Copa America crown.
Messi is expected to captain and lead the Argentine to a deep run in the tournament, which begins on June 20th, where Argentina will play Canada at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
Messi is expected to miss Inter Miami games ranging from June 5th up until the final on July 14th. The MLS club gave no indication if Argentina were to be eliminated early in the tournament, if Messi will simply slot back into the team.
How many games is Lionel Messi now expected to miss?
Inter Miami, for now, sits first above everyone in MLS in the general standings and first in the MLS East with 35 points and a 10-3-5 record. Still, Tata Martino’s side continues to have major defensive issues that for now continue to rely heavily on Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
Now with notable absences for Copa America and later the Olympics, Inter Miami will need to solve their defensive puzzle. Messi is only slated to miss time for the Copa America and will miss up to 6 MLS matches.
Philadelphia (Away), Columbus Crew, Nashville (Away), Charlotte (Away), Cincinnati (Away), and Toronto are the batch of games where Messi and possibly Luis Suarez, if called into Uruguay, will miss.
By no means is the fixture easy, as the Union, Crew, and TFC are difficult sides to play against, with the Crew being the reigning MLS Cup champions.
Messi should be back on the field for Inter Miami in their final regular season game before the Leagues Cup break on July 20th against the ailing Chicago Fire at home.
