The Argentina legend appears ready to play his first game in a month
Lionel Messi has been named to Inter Miami’s matchday squad for Saturday’s match against the Colorado Rapids, with the Argentine legend potentially set to play his first game in a month.
Messi has been sidelined for six matches now with a hamstring issue, most recently missing out as Inter Miami fell 2-1 to Monterrey in a Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal first leg on Wednesday.
Following that match, head coach Tata Martino said that Miami was evaluating Messi on a “game-to-game” basis.
Ahead of next week’s return leg in Mexico, the 36-year-old has taken his place on Miami’s 20-man matchday roster for a MLS clash with Colorado at Chase Stadium.
With nagging injuries plaguing Messi and a jam-packed schedule for Miami, the 36-year-old has played in just five of the Herons’ 10 competitive matches in 2024. This year, Miami has not lost a game that Messi has appeared in, but has just one win without him.
The club’s update on Messi’s status noted that the superstar is not listed at all on an updated injury report for the weekend. That’s welcome news, as Miami confirmed that seven players will miss out against the Rapids.
That includes winger Robert Taylor, who exited early against Monterrey on Wednesday, as well as highly-rated young midfielder Federico Redondo.
However, Messi isn’t the lone player to come off the injury report. U.S. men’s national team prospect Benjamin Cremaschi is also on the gameday roster after coming through a 25-minute appearance for Miami’s MLS Next Pro side on Tuesday. Cremaschi, 19, has yet to appear for Miami this season after suffering a sports hernia in January.
Analyzing Wednesday’s Inter Miami CF vs. Monterrey odds and lines, with expert soccer picks, predictions and best bets.
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Inter Miami and Monterrey battle in the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal Wednesday. Kickoff from Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for the 1st leg is set for 8 p.m. ET (FS1). Below, we preview FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines around the Inter Miami vs. Monterrey odds, and make our best expert soccer picks and predictions.
Inter Miami, which is among the best teams in the MLS, has struggled without F Lionel Messi, who has missed games with a hamstring injury. Messi could play in this game as he has returned to training. Messi is the team’s most dynamic offensive player. That said, Inter drew NYCFC in MLS action 1-1 Saturday, and they beat Nashville SC 5-3 on aggregate in the Round of 16 with the 2nd leg being played on March 13.
Monterrey sits 2nd on the Liga MX table through 13 matches, having won 8, drawn 4 and lost 1. It has a +13 goal differential in those matches, scoring 23 and allowing 10. Monterrey beat the reigning Supporters Shield champions FC Cincinnati in the Round of 16, taking Cincinnati down 3-1 on aggregate and winning 1-0 on the road in the 1st leg. Monterrey’s F Brandon Vazquez, who played for Cincinnati in 2023, scored 2 goals in the 2 legs.
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Inter Miami is a far better team both at home and with Messi on the pitch. They throttled Nashville SC in the 2nd leg at home, winning 3-1 and being up 3-0 heading into the 90th minute. Messi has tallied 3 goals and 1 assist in 3 MLS games. Inter was 2-1-0 in those games, beating opponents a combined 8-1.
While Monterrey is a strong and proven side, it really didn’t showcase much on the road against FC Cincinnati, ending with 44% possession and 4 fewer shots. A team with Messi should be far more difficult to possession and break down.
Expect the home side to come out on top. At this value, back INTER MIAMI (-105).
Monterrey took one of the MLS’s best scorers and put him on its team. It scored on Cincinnati in both matches. Cincinnati has one of the best defenses in the MLS while Inter has allowed 6 goals in its last 3 MLS matches.
However, in both its CONCACAF Champions Cup battles, Miami has tallied at least 2 goals and netted a total of 5 on Nashville through the 2 matches. It has scored 8 goals in the 3 MLS games Messi has played on top of those matches against Nashville.
The price is steep, making this just a lean, but with the above in mind, take OVER 2.5 (-154).
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The Herons have never faced an opponent like this before. Can they prove their mettle?
MLS has never had a team like Inter Miami, and the Herons have never had a challenge like what lies in wait over the next week.
On Wednesday, Chase Stadium will play host to the first leg of Miami’s Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal against mighty Monterrey, the Liga MX powerhouse that has won five continental trophies in the last 15 years.
The Herons’ brief, strange history includes an unprecedented punishment for salary cap violations, a protracted (but ultimately successful) stadium push, a grand total of two MLS playoff games (both 3-0 losses) and of course the landmark achievement that is bringing Lionel Messi to MLS.
The club is the first in MLS history to have its shirt be Adidas’ top-selling jersey of any kind (that’s the pink Messi No. 10 jersey seen just about anywhere you can find soccer fans). Even if you took Messi out of the equation, the presence of Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba would make the Herons a unique phenomenon in MLS.
It’s been a roller coaster ride in south Florida, but a thrilling run to the 2023 Leagues Cup title represents the only proof that the sporting side of the endeavor might actually work.
“The culture of wanting to win, to be competitive in all competitions, to play against very good teams as an equal, that is all getting built with our history,” head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino told reporters on Tuesday.
“We’re starting in our first steps. Last year, we managed to win a competition. This year, we’ve grown, and the level of what we’re going to compete against [has too]. The level of the competition that we’re going to go up against in Monterrey is the most important [challenge] that we have this year up to this time.
Martino concluded with an astute summation of the task ahead of his side: “Basically it’s this: being a reliable team week after week, changing into a very important team not just for the moment but for a long time.”
Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
During that Leagues Cup run, Miami announced itself as not just a collective of famous players, but as a seriously formidable team. With Messi making his debut, the Herons suddenly sprang to life. In less than four weeks, Miami reeled off victories (whether in regulation play or via shootout) over Cruz Azul, Atlanta United, Orlando City, FC Dallas, Charlotte FC, the Philadelphia Union, and Nashville SC.
However, through the way the bracket developed, Cruz Azul ended up being the only Mexican club between Miami and that first-ever trophy. With all due respect to La Maquina, that group-stage clash is currently not the same thing as a two-legged Concacaf Champions Cup contest with Monterrey.
Around the time of the Leagues Cup, Cruz Azul was in the process of finishing 16th out of 18 teams in the Mexican Apertura season. Monterrey, meanwhile, finished in second over the same period, and at the time of writing is tied atop the Clausura standings with 28 points. We’re talking about a team that has won five of the last 13 editions of Concacaf’s premier club competition.
To define the difference between the sides with one metric, soccer transfer tracker Transfermarkt values Miami’s full squad at roughly $91 million, or around $25 million more than any other MLS club. Monterrey, meanwhile, breaks the nine-digit barrier, with its players’ collective transfer valuation clocking in at $102 million.
When you consider how top-heavy Miami is — Messi alone accounts for $31.2 million of Miami’s total — the challenge comes into focus. Monterrey may not have a single global star on the level of Messi or Suárez, but Martino can’t call on anything close to the depth Fernando Ortiz has at his disposal. Monterrey’s squad isn’t just deeper than Miami’s; it’s younger, and thus more able to physically compete in multiple competitions.
On top of that, Messi is a gametime decision. The iconic forward didn’t play over the weekend against New York City FC, and the will he/won’t he dynamic has become familiar for the Herons.
On one hand, it’s good that the team has learned to win without its biggest star. On the other, it’s hard to believe this group can find its highest level without the best player to ever kick a ball.
For his part, Suárez — even after winning so many things at some of the world’s biggest clubs — is hungry to prove that the Miami project can succeed.
“These are the games that you like to play. The team has to show what we’re here for,” the Uruguay star told reporters on Tuesday. “It’s a key game tomorrow. It’s not enough to just have the name of the players, you have to show it on the field.
“Our attitude is going to be to show, on the field over 180 minutes, that we [can be] the best on the field. We can’t look at anything outside. What we do on the field is what counts, and against a rival like Monterrey — who is very powerful, who has quality players — is a beautiful thing for us.”
Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
In some ways, Miami’s aspirations are MLS’s. The league has long desired global respect, but has for some time now been stuck behind Liga MX (or at least, Mexico’s biggest clubs) in Concacaf. MLS clubs have earned the right to claim supremacy in the region just four times since the league began play in 1996. Until that starts to change on a regular basis, MLS’s desire for a place as one of the world’s best leagues remains out of reach.
Miami, like MLS as a whole would love to have prominence across the world for something other than being where Messi happens to play A good start to this MLS season, or winning a newfangled competition like the Leagues Cup last year, is where that starts.
This quarterfinal clash against Concacaf’s most consistently successful soccer concern is the chance to remove any doubt that Miami can be a repository for aging superstars, and win when it counts.
The 36-year-old has missed Miami’s past three games with a hamstring injury
Inter Miami head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino has said Lionel Messi will be a game-time decision for Wednesday’s Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal first leg against Monterrey.
Messi has been sidelined for five matches now with a hamstring issue, missing three MLS games with Inter Miami and also sitting out both of Argentina’s friendlies over the international break.
The 36-year-old was back on the training pitch on Tuesday but at a pre-game press conference, Martino would not commit to the Argentine playing in the match at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
“Tomorrow we’ll figure it out,” the coach said. “Today he trained. We still have 24 hours.”
“Leo has had an injury and this has had to be managed with time. We have a really important game tomorrow but we have to remember it’s the beginning of April. What we shouldn’t do is put our players’ physical conditions at risk.
“We’ll determine what’s best for Leo like any other player, and from there we’ll make the correct decision.”
Martino added that defender Nicolás Freire would also be a game-time decision and another defender, Serhiy Kryvtsov, would miss the match.
Miami has one win, one loss and one draw in the three matches Messi has missed thus far, most recently drawing New York City FC 1-1 at Chase Stadium on Saturday.
The Herons are in the midst of a crowded set of fixtures, as they’ll host Colorado on Saturday in MLS play before traveling to Mexico for the second leg against Monterrey next Wednesday.
The 36-year-old will miss his fifth straight match on Saturday
Lionel Messi has been ruled out of Inter Miami’s match against New York City FC on Saturday, but the club is hopeful he’ll be fit for Wednesday’s Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal first leg against Monterrey.
Messi has been sidelined for four matches now with a hamstring issue, missing two MLS games with Inter Miami and also sitting out both of Argentina’s friendlies over the international break.
After suffering the injury on March 14, the Argentina superstar won’t be ready in time for Saturday’s MLS match at Chase Stadium.
“Leo is working with the physios,” assistant coach Javeier Morales told reporters on Friday. “He is ruled out for tomorrow, he will not be available because we will be trying to do our best so that he can play at home next Wednesday against Monterrey.”
With Messi sidelined, Miami defeated D.C. United on March 16 in the nation’s capital, before falling to a heavy 4-0 defeat in a match at the New York Red Bulls a week later.
Miami currently sits second in the Eastern Conference table with a record of 3W-1D-2L.
The matchup with Monterrey represents a huge test for Miami, which has only faced a Liga MX team once since Messi’s arrival. That came in Messi’s debut, which saw him score a last-second free kick to defeat Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup in July.
Monterrey will be a formidable opponent for the Herons, as Los Rayados currently top the Liga MX table.
It sounds like the Argentina superstar isn’t going away anytime soon
Lionel Messi has said age won’t be a factor in his eventual decision to retire, instead saying he’ll only hang up his boots when he is no longer enjoying the sport.
The Inter Miami star will turn 37 in July, but has continued to be a high-impact player for club and for Argentina even in the latter stages of his career.
Messi has started the 2024 season in strong form again for Miami, tallying five goals and two assists across five matches in all competitions. He is, however, currently sidelined due to a hamstring injury.
The World Cup winner spoke about his playing future in an appearance on the Big Time podcast, which was broadcast on Saudi Arabian TV this week.
“I know that as soon as I believe that I can no longer perform, or no longer enjoy the game, or I’m not able to help my teammates, then I will stop,” Messi said.
“I am really self-critical; I know when I am good and when I am bad. So for my retirement, it will not matter what age I am. If I feel good, I will keep playing.”
Messi added that he hasn’t thought about retirement yet, saying: “I hope to continue playing for a while longer, that is my plan. After that, I will try to do something I like in a new role.”
Messi learns to love the other football
The Argentina international also said that living in the U.S. has opened his eyes to that other football that’s so popular in his new home country.
Asked about his favorite non-soccer sports, Messi said: “Tennis, padel, basketball, and also American football. I am learning a lot about American football and have come to understand it more and I’m enjoying it!”
It sounds like the Miami Dolphins need to roll out the red carpet to get Messi out to a game this fall.
Analyzing Saturday’s New York Red Bulls vs. Inter Miami odds and lines, with expert MLS picks, predictions and best bets.
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The New York Red Bulls (2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss) welcome Inter Miami (3-1-1) to Red Bull Arena Saturday. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. ET (Apple TV). Below, we preview FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines around the New York Red Bulls vs. Inter Miami odds, and make our best expert MLS picks and predictions.
Inter Miami got a much-needed midweek break, having played 4 games from March 7-16 with 2 matches in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Inter is led by F Lionel Messi, who joined the club last season and is one of the most renowned players in the sport’s history. Messi has 3 goals in 3 MLS matches. Inter is 1-1-0 on the road and is coming off a 3-1 road win over D.C. United last Saturday.
The Red Bulls lost to the Columbus Crew 3-0 Saturday, their 1st loss of the season. New York won its lone home game, beating FC Dallas 2-1. It has scored 4 goals in 4 matches, being held scoreless twice. The Red Bulls are led in scoring by 27-year-old Scottish F Lewis Morgan, who has 2 goals in 4 matches (2 starts). The Red Bulls finished 8th in the Eastern Conference a season ago.
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Inter has been throttled teams as of late and should have all their top players rested and set to play, including former Barcelona star F Luis Suarez, who has netted 4 goals. Inter has scored 10 goals in their last 3 games, having 0.5 more expected goals in 4 of 5 games this season.
The Red Bulls sit in the bottom half of the league in save percentage and in the top half in fouls. Inter is going to be too technical to not take advantage of those.
Given the Red Bulls are coming off a brutal 3-0 loss and Inter is rested and should be in top shape, back the road side to come out on top for a small unit. Take INTER MIAMI (+195).
Both teams foul frequently. Inter sits atop the league in fouls while New York ranks 10th. New York and Miami both gets shots on the frame often too with New York ranking 9th (20) and Miami second (31).
Inter has gone Over this total in 3 straight games, scoring at least 2 in all 3 and scoring at least 3 in 2 of the 3. The Red Bulls have gone Over in 3 straight games, scoring 4 goals in those 3 while allowing 5.
Expect numerous goals in this one and back OVER 2.5 (-122).
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The Inter Miami star will be forced out of matches against El Salvador and Costa Rica
Lionel Messi has been ruled out for a pair of upcoming Argentina friendlies in the United States due to injury.
Messi suffered what the Argentina Football Federation (AFA) called a “minor injury” in his right hamstring last Wednesday during Inter Miami’s Concacaf Champions Cup match against Nashville SC.
After missing Inter Miami’s game against D.C. United over the weekend, Messi has now been ruled out for Friday’s game against El Salvador in Philadelphia and a March 26 match against Costa Rica in Los Angeles.
“Argentina captain Lionel Messi won’t be able to be in the squad for the friendlies in the USA due to a minor right hamstring injury suffered in Inter Miami’s match against Nashville SC,” an AFA statement read.
Messi has struggled with injury on multiple occasions so far in 2024, with a preseason muscle injury limiting him during Inter Miami’s tour of Asia.
After recovering in time for the MLS regular season, Messi returned to his usual outstanding form by tallying five goals and two assists across five matches in all competitions.
Though Messi won’t be part of Argentina’s squad for its March friendlies, fans in the U.S. will still have plenty more chances to see the legendary figure if he is healthy this summer.
Argentina will face Ecuador at Soldier Field in Chicago on June 9, before a June 14 match against Guatemala at FedEx Field in Landover, Md. Those two friendlies will take place just before the 2024 Copa América, which could see Argentina play up to six more games in the United States.
Analyzing Sunday’s Inter Miami vs. CF Montreal odds and lines, with expert MLS picks, predictions and best bets.
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Inter Miami (2 wins, 1 draw, 0 losses) welcomes CF Montreal (1-1-0) to Chase Stadium Sunday. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. ET (Apple TV). Below, we preview FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines around the Inter Miami vs. CF Montreal odds, and make our best expert MLS picks and predictions.
Inter Miami has yet to lose or even draw at home, beating Real Salt Lake 2-0 to open the season and then beating Orlando City 5-0 at home on March 2. Miami is coming off a midweek 2-2 road draw with Nashville SC in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. F Lionel Messi leads the team with 3 goals in 3 games.
CF Montreal was among the best teams in the MLS in 2022, but struggled last season. Its has started off with a solid 1-1-0 record in 2 road games. It has a 0-0 draw with Orlando City and a 2-1 road win over FC Dallas, ending with more expected goals than its opponent in both.
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Inter Miami is cheaper than expected at -155, but one has to realize that both F Luis Suarez and Messi are coming off a 90-minute battle with Nashville on Thursday. They may either not start or get limited minutes which should strongly handicap the home team’s attack.
Similarly, CF Montreal has played 2 road games and surprisingly had more expected goals in both. That said, Inter is the far better side, but there’s no value in backing them.
The best wager in this game is on the Under. Again, Messi and Suarez may not get many minutes in this match, especially considering Messi has logged 90 minutes in all 3 games to start the season. They will need to rest him eventually.
Other than Messi, the Inter offense is limited. Couple that with CF Montreal having yet to allow north of 1.0 expected goals, and Miami could struggle offensively. Montreal has had more than 1.0 expected goals in just 1 game while Inter has pitched 2 clean sheets in 3 MLS matches.
Through the 5 combined games, this total would be 2-3 O/U. Expect a low-scoring battle and take UNDER 2.5 (+132).
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Analyzing Thursday’s Nashville SC vs. Inter Miami CONCACAF Champions Cup odds and lines, with expert soccer picks, predictions and best bets.
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Nashville SC welcomes Inter Miami to Geodis Park in the CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16. Kickoff in the 1st leg is set for 9 p.m. ET. Below, we preview BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Nashville SC vs. Inter Miami odds, and make our best expert soccer picks and predictions.
Both teams have just started their regular season in the MLS with Inter Miami having added several stars this offseason. Inter has 2 wins and a draw it their 1st 3 games. F Lionel Messi, who is playing with former Barcelona teammates F Luis Suarez, M Sergio Busquets and D Jordi Alba, has scored 3 goals on the season.
Nashville took down Moca to start its CONCACAF Champions Cup run, defeating its opponent a combined 7-0 in the 2 legs. Nashville is 0-2-0 on the MLS season, having drawn the New York Red Bulls 0-0 and the Colorado Rapids 1-1. F Teal Bunbury is the only player to have scored for Nashville.
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Nashville SC still has a solid roster with D Walker Zimmerman on the backline. While it hasn’t necessarily dominated opponents early in the season, it did have 0.9 more expected goals than the Rapids in its last outing. Nashville finished last season 9-4-4 at home, so despite having struggled, it has had home success over the last 14 months.
While Inter is a strong MLS side, they had 2.6 fewer expected goals in their lone road game this season. While they have been dominant at home, that same success may not translate to a hostile environment.
Given that lack of road success, sprinkle on DRAW (+270).
Teams take this tournament seriously, so there should be an expectation that Zimmerman gets a full 90 minutes. His presence should bode well for the home side defensively. Nashville has allowed 1 goal through 2 games, and its opponents have a combined 2.0 expected goals.
For Inter, they have allowed fewer than 1 expected goal in 2 of 3 games and has allowed just 1 goal through 3 games. It may also have a strong defense. In the combined 5 MLS games these teams have played, 4 would have gone Under this total.
That said, back UNDER 2.5 (+110).
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