"Messi is currently in good physical condition and of course he will play in his honor match (winning the 8th Ballon d'Or). But playing the full 90 minutes is unlikely," coach Tata Martino said at a press conference on November 9, right before the match between Inter Miami and New York City FC.
Coach Tata Martino remains cautious with Messi
According to AS (Spain): "Coach Tata Martino is cautious with Messi because right after the friendly match with Inter Miami, this famous player will have to report his situation to the Argentina team before returning to prepare for two key matches in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, against Uruguay and Brazil from mid-November."
Messi has only started two matches since the end of October, including the match in which Argentina beat Peru 2-0 (Messi scored both goals) on October 18 in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in South America, and the match in which Inter Miami lost 0-1 to Charlotte FC in the final round of the MLS on October 22.
On October 31, the Argentine star went to Paris (France) to attend the ceremony and receive the 8th Golden Ball award. But immediately after that, he returned to Inter Miami to train in the hope of reaching the best physical condition, playing 2 matches with the Argentine team in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. These are also Messi's last matches in 2023, before he takes a vacation lasting more than 1 month. From January 2024, Messi started training to prepare for the new season with Inter Miami.
Messi in a recent training session at Inter Miami
"We need at least 40 days for the pre-season. The best preparation is Inter Miami's priority for the 2024 season, with many goals we want to aim for. Messi and his teammates remain committed to the club. They are not considering any short-term playing opportunities at other clubs at the moment. That will help us have the best squad when preparing for the new season," coach Tata Martino shared.
In the 2024 season, Messi and his Inter Miami teammates aim to win the MLS Cup, qualify for the CONCACAF Champions Cup from the round of 16, defend the Leagues Cup title and participate in the Copa Interamericana four-way tournament between the champions of South America and CONCACAF (North, Central America and the Caribbean).
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