According to coach Mascherano, Messi needs to play a lot in order to gradually increase the number of minutes he is on the pitch. Therefore, the 37-year-old Argentine player will continue to be present on the upcoming tour in Panama, contrary to rumours that he would be absent.
“Our idea is to give all the players, including Messi, as many minutes as possible in the training matches,” confirmed coach Mascherano on February 1, before the training session in preparation for the upcoming match. Inter Miami will play Sporting San Miguelito in Panama at 5 am on February 3.
Before that, Messi played about 65 minutes in the first training match against Club America (Mexico) on January 19. Then he played about 72 minutes in the match against Universitario in Peru on January 30. In these 2 matches, Messi contributed 1 goal, but his form and fitness are not yet at their best. Similarly, other famous players such as Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets or Luis Suarez have not yet recovered their usual playing rhythm.
“We are still in the preparation phase. Inter Miami has a lot of new players at this stage, some of whom are still completing the paperwork to apply for work visas in the US and have not yet trained. Therefore, we have to be patient and carry out the plan step by step. We are still in the transfer market, I think there will be at least one more signing in the near future,” added coach Mascherano.
According to the American press, Inter Miami would be negotiating the signing of 1 to 2 more players, with priority for defensive positions, including 27-year-old Uruguayan center back Maximiliano Falcón, for a fee of around 1 million dollars from the club. Colo in the Chilean National Championship.
They are also making an offer to sign Racing Club midfielder Baltasar Rodriguez, a member of the Argentina Under 23 national team. These deals are expected to be completed by the end of this week, or early next week at the latest, according to the Miami Herald (USA).
Coach Mascherano’s confirmation that Messi will join the tour in Panama is also causing quite a stir here, with many fans eagerly awaiting the Argentine star, similar to what just happened in Peru, where 80,000 spectators turned out to watch the match.
The match between Inter Miami and Sporting San Miguelito at Panama’s 32,000-capacity Estadio Rommel Fernández is also currently sold out.
This is the third pre-season match in which Messi and his teammates have generated a rush for tickets. The match against Club América in Las Vegas was announced by the organizers with 45,262 spectators present. Meanwhile, the match against Universitario in Peru had a confirmed attendance of 80 thousand people.
After the match against Sporting San Miguelito, Messi and his teammates will have another match abroad against Olimpia in Honduras at 8 a.m. on February 9.
Inter Miami will then return to Florida to face city rivals Orlando City SC in a thrilling friendly at Raymond James Stadium, which can hold up to 75,000 spectators. This match will take place at 7:30 on February 15 (Vietnam time).
Inter Miami will play Sporting Kansas City in the first leg of Round 1 of the 2025 CONCACAF Champions’ Cup at 8 a.m. on February 19.
According to coach Mascherano, he expects Messi and his teammates to reach their best form and physical condition before playing the first official matches, and to start the 2025 MLS season with a home match against New York City FC at 2:30 pm on 23.2.
