Inter Miami visit the Mercedes Benz Stadium for their clash with Atlanta United for Matchday 4 of the 2025 MLS season. After a great performance against Cavalier SC for the Concacaf Champions Cup, Lionel Messi is confirmed to play tonight.
Javier Mascherano, Miami’s head coach, said on Saturday morning that the plan was for Messi to travel to Atlanta. “The plan was for him to play 30 to 35 minutes in Jamaica so he could feel good again, and it went well,” Mascherano told the press.
Messi is coming off from a muscle strain that kept him out of three games. However, the Argentine star came off the bench at the 53-minute mark during the second leg match against Cavalier to score the 2-0 for Miami, and close the series with a 4-0 aggregate win.
Thanks to the victory, Miami advanced to the quarterfinals of the tournament, in which they will face Los Angeles FC in April. However, first, Messi will join Argentina’s national team for matches against Uruguay and Brazil in the World Cup qualifiers.
Mascherano talks to Messi before he enters the pitch during Miami’s match vs Cavalier ( Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Even without Messi’s absence in some matches, Miami is in second place in the Eastern Conference with two wins, no losses, and a tie (seven points). Meanwhile, Atlanta, who eliminated Miami in the first round of the Playoffs last season, is in 11th place with four points.
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Inter Miami’s confirmed lineup vs Atlanta
Marcelo Weigandt (hamstring) and David Ruiz (leg injury) were the only players absent from Saturday’s training, while Robert Taylor (hamstring) trained separately. Drake Callender will travel with the team after recovering from an adductor injury. Oscar Ustari is serving a red card suspension Sunday night, with Rocco Rios Novo will start.
Miami’s confirmed lineup is: Rocco Rios Novo; Gonzalo Lujan, Maxi Falcon, Noah Allen, Jordi Alba; Yannick Bright, Sergio Busquets, Tadeo Allende; Telasco Segovia, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez.
