Lionel Messi’s status vs. Vancouver: Inter Miami coach Mascherano addresses fitness after being left out against Dallas
One of the situations that raised questions at Inter Miami was the absence of star Lionel Messi from the squad list for the MLS match against FC Dallas. With the second leg against the Vancouver Whitecaps on the horizon, head coach Javier Mascherano addressed Messi’s status for Wednesday’s crucial game.
Inter Miami suffered their first defeat of the 2025 MLS season in a thrilling 4-3 loss to Dallas at Chase Stadium, with several key players missing from the roster. In the post-match press conference, Mascherano was asked about Messi’s fitness and provided an optimistic update.
“Leo is doing well. Obviously, we decided — just like with other teammates — to rest him after a game like the one against Vancouver, played on synthetic turf, and a six- or seven-hour round-trip flight,” Mascherano explained, offering subtle insight into Messi’s absence.
“Today he trained, and he trained well, so he’ll be ready,” Mascherano added, referring to Sunday’s training session. Messi was seen in the stands alongside his family and Luis Suarez — who was also held out of the game — showing their support for the team.
Inter Miami lost their unbeaten record in MLS, with Mascherano taking responsibility for the loss after a series of second-half substitutions. Now, with all of the team’s stars expected to be available, the coach is focused on orchestrating another comeback — this time against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Mascherano aims to dominate the Whitecaps
Inter Miami are making their first-ever appearance in the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals, but their path to the final suffered a major setback after the Whitecaps earned a 2-0 win at BC Place last Thursday. Despite the challenging situation, Mascherano remains confident about overturning the deficit.
“We’re trailing on the scoreboard, and on Wednesday we have to come in with the belief that we can come back — knowing there’s nothing to lose, only everything to gain,” Mascherano stated. “From the first minute, we need to take the game to Vancouver through our play, because without playing well, it’s very hard to overturn a result like this,” he added.
The coach emphasized the importance of staying composed and sticking to their playing style: “We need to rely on our game, try to dominate, focus on what we can do, and concentrate on scoring the first goal — and then let the rest happen. But not with the mindset of rushing for the second or third goal without getting the first. If we stay true to ourselves, we’ll have a lot of chances.”
Inter Miami already pulled off a comeback in the Champions Cup quarterfinals against Los Angeles FC. The Herons find themselves trailing again, but with Lionel Messi and the other stars fully rested, Mascherano believes another comeback is well within reach.