Lionel Messi’s club Inter Miami kicks off their 2024 global pre-season tour with a friendly against El Salvador in the Caribbean nation on Saturday.
Inter Miami’s pre-season tour will see them travel more than 23,000 miles around the world, visiting El Salvador, Hong Kong, Japan and Saudi Arabia before finishing the trip at home in Dallas.
After the last two months off, Messi is in the squad for the pre-season tour along with other Inter Miami superstars including new signing Luis Suarez.
The 36-year-old was his usual brilliant self last season after joining the MLS club, but suffered a season-ending injury that questioned his ability to stay fit for the campaign’s busy schedule. With his first full season at Inter Miami looming, the conversation will be about how to manage his minutes to be fit for the most important games.
Will Lionel Messi play for Inter Miami in the friendly against El Salvador?
Lionel Messi is in Inter Miami’s squad for Saturday’s friendly against El Salvador but is highly unlikely to feature.
With Messi and his teammates just returning from the off-season break, they will almost certainly be released into full match action, more than likely coming off the bench to start the pre-season program.
The same will certainly apply to Inter Miami’s other aging stars such as Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba as well as new signing Luis Suarez.
“We have a responsibility to make sure the fans feel well represented on the pitch when our big stars are not playing,” Inter Miami manager Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino said before the start of the pre-season.
“If the fans know that, for various reasons, Leo [Messi] or Busi [Sergio Busquets] or Jordi [Alba] will not be there, but we will have a very competitive team, that is an important message.”
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