Inter Miami announced that superstar Lionel Messi sustained an injury during their previous match in Ecuador against Barcelona SC. Consequently, the club have pushed back the date of their final preseason friendly to Thursday, February 26, where they are scheduled to face Independiente del Valle in Puerto Rico.
Inter Miami postponed final friendly to give the 38-year-old extra time to recover before the high-stakes MLS season opener against LAFC. Amidst the concerns regarding his fitness, Messi took to his Instagram account to address the situation directly.
“Unfortunately, I felt some muscle tightness in the last match, but we were really looking forward to seeing you, so together with the club we worked on finding an alternative date to be able to travel and play in Puerto Rico,” Messi wrote. “We know the excitement and the desire you have to watch an Inter Miami match, and it will be very special to make it happen soon“.
While the muscle tightness is not believed to be a long-term concern, Inter Miami are clearly prioritizing caution to ensure their captain is at 100% for the defense of their league title.
Should Inter Miami be worried about Messi’s latest injury?
Whenever a club announces an injury to a key player, alarm bells inevitably ring as fans fear the worst-case scenario. In this instance, the primary concern is whether Messi will be sidelined for the start of the 2026 MLS campaign.
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While Inter Miami stated that his “progressive return to training will be contingent upon clinical and functional evolution in the coming days,” the consensus is that the issue is not a long-term setback. However, there is now a very real possibility that the Argentine icon will be unavailable for the opening match of the club’s MLS Cup title defense.
Inter Miami visit LAFC at the LA Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, February 21, leaving the 38-year-old with just ten days to recover. Because of this tight window, the coaching staff are expected to monitor his progress closely.
The organization is notoriously cautious with its franchise star, and it will be hesitant to rush him back and risk a more significant injury that could derail the first half of the season.
