Inter Miami holds its breath waiting for Messi, superstar still leaves open the possibility of returning to the Argentina national team

According to coach Mascherano, Messi will still be present in the match between Inter Miami and Tigres UANL at 7am on August 21 in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals, but whether he plays or not will depend on how the famous player feels. The same goes for his return to the Argentina national team.

Did Mascherano take a risk with Messi?

According to journalist Jose Armando of Deporte Total USA, Coach Mascherano's use of Messi to play for just 45 minutes in the match where Inter Miami beat LA Galaxy 3-1 on August 17 was probably an unnecessary risk.

Messi scored a beautiful goal and contributed an assist for Suarez to score the winning goal for Inter Miami. However, in return, the 38-year-old player continued to face obstacles with a persistent injury to his adductor muscle, making him uncomfortable and not really feeling comfortable until now.

Messi immediately scored on his return with 1 goal and 1 assist for Inter Miami

Photo: Reuters

"Messi is still training, but not with the team, but separately. His situation is quite similar to what I described after the match (with LA Galaxy). He did not feel comfortable during the 45 minutes of play. We will see how he feels before the match day. In fact, Messi is not out of the match list, but whether he plays or not, or for how long, will depend on how he feels," coach Mascherano expressed in a press conference on August 20 (Vietnam time), right before the match between Inter Miami and Tigres UANL.

Apart from Messi, Inter Miami's squad is full of top stars, with veteran striker Suarez, midfielder De Paul, Busquets and defender Jordi Alba all in good shape. For Mexico's Tigres UANL, striker Angel Correa is the most notable name. Correa is also a teammate of Messi and De Paul in the Argentina national team, and now they unexpectedly have to face each other on the field.

In the ongoing transfer window, Inter Miami has said goodbye to two players, including goalkeeper Drake Callender (to Charlotte FC) and Federico Redondo (to Elche Club in Spain). But in the opposite direction, they are also about to add two very notable players, including center-back Gonzalo Piovi (from Cruz Azul Club) and 19-year-old star Mateo Silvetti from Newell's Old Boys Club (Argentina). These additions are expected to strengthen Inter Miami's defense, to conquer the championship goals in the 2025 season.

Messi leaves open the possibility of returning to the Argentina national team

The Argentina national team has announced a preliminary list, including Messi and all the top stars, preparing for the last two matches in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in South America in early September, including the match against Venezuela at home in Buenos Aires (at 6:30 a.m. on September 5) and against Ecuador (away, at 6:00 a.m. on September 10).

The image of Messi looking upset has been worrying so far

Photo: Reuters

The match against Venezuela will be considered the last and official match of Messi's international career at home in Argentina. After that, the Albiceleste will not have any more home matches from September until the end of 2025.

From early 2026 is the preparation campaign for the 2026 World Cup taking place in the US, Mexico and Canada in the summer, and the Finalissima (Intercontinental Super Cup) championship match in March with the Spanish team (scheduled to be held in Europe).

So far, Messi has almost kept his commitment to participate in the 2026 World Cup with the Argentina team to defend the championship won in Qatar in 2022. This is certainly the last major tournament in the career of this famous player, now 38 years old. After the tournament, he can announce his retirement, but whether he continues to play at the club level or not is still open.

However, with the current injury situation, the possibility of Messi returning to the Argentina team in the FIFA Days in September is still open. Everything will depend on the feeling of this famous player.

In addition, Messi is focusing on helping Inter Miami regain the Leagues Cup championship (the final match takes place on August 31). This is also a condition to motivate him and his close friend Suarez, along with Busquets, to sign a contract extension with Inter Miami and retire together in the same club shirt as promised.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/inter-miami-nin-tho-cho-messi-bo-ngo-tro-lai-doi-tuyen-argentina-185250820101608995.htm