MIAMI, 12 March 2025 (BSS/AFP) – Lionel Messi, who has missed Inter Miami’s last three matches, will travel to Jamaica for Thursday’s CONCACAF Champions Cup fixture against Kingston-based Cavalier, head coach Javier Mascherano confirmed on Wednesday.
Messi was absent from Inter Miami’s 4-1 victory over Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer on 2 March, as well as their 2-0 midweek home win in the first leg of the last-16 tie against Cavalier. The Argentine forward was then an unused substitute during Sunday’s 1-0 win against Charlotte in MLS, with Mascherano stating that the decision was based on workload management rather than any injury concerns.
Addressing the media before the squad’s departure for the Caribbean nation, Mascherano, a former Barcelona team-mate of Messi, confirmed that the football icon would be part of the travelling squad.
“Leo Messi is on the roster and will accompany the team to Jamaica. We will assess tomorrow (Thursday) what is best for the match – whether he starts or comes on later from the bench,” he stated.
“Today, he trained with the squad and felt good. We are pleased he will be travelling with us to Jamaica,” he added.
The match is set to draw a sell-out crowd at Kingston’s National Stadium, which has a capacity of 35,000. While Messi has previously faced Jamaica’s national team while representing Argentina, he has never played in the country before.
Cavalier’s head coach and sporting director, Rudolph Speid, remains optimistic about his side’s chances of overturning the tie against a Miami squad featuring former Barcelona stars Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, and Luis Suárez.
“Our goal is to normalise the situation for our players so that they feel comfortable competing against such high-profile opponents,” Speid commented.
“Jordi Alba, at 35 years old, still runs up and down as though he were 25. Sergio Busquets is an exceptional player – it is incredibly difficult to dispossess him when he has the ball under control. And Lionel Messi, well, there is nothing more to say,” he told the Jamaican Gleaner.
Related Information:
The CONCACAF Champions Cup, formerly known as the CONCACAF Champions League, is the region’s premier club competition, featuring top teams from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. The winner of the tournament secures a place in the FIFA Club World Cup, adding further stakes to the contest.
Messi’s inclusion in the squad will undoubtedly boost Inter Miami’s chances, but Cavalier, known for their aggressive pressing and youthful energy, will be eager to make history by upsetting the odds on home soil.