Confirmed lineups for Inter Miami vs. Independiente del Valle friendly in Puerto Rico without Lionel Messi
Inter Miami have traveled to Puerto Rico to face Independiente del Valle on Thursday, February 26, at Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium. With the 2026 Major League Soccer season already underway, fans are eager to see Lionel Messi making his first appearance on the island.
The Herons enter the match after suffering a heavy 3-0 defeat in their MLS opener against LAFC, beginning their title-defense campaign on the wrong foot. Independiente del Valle, meanwhile, have also had their schedule interrupted. The Ecuadorian first division kicked off last weekend, with El Negriazul coming off a 2–0 win over Guayaquil City in their opener.
The game was originally scheduled for Friday, February 13, as part of the Champions Tour before the MLS season began. However, Messi’s hamstring injury against Barcelona SC in Guayaquil disrupted those plans, forcing both clubs to find a new date, with Feb. 26 ultimately selected.
Is Lionel Messi playing?
After the postponement, Lionel Messi will be starting the game against Independiente del Valle in Puerto Rico on the subs bench. Following Thursday’s training session, which was open to fans, head coach Mascherano decided to leave the Argentina star out of the starting lineup.
In his pre-match press conference, head coach Javier Mascherano explained that his plan is to rotate minutes, especially for players who have seen limited action so far: “The match gives us the opportunity to give minutes to guys who perhaps haven’t seen as much action, both during the preseason and in our last league match.“
The Argentine manager also has one eye on the upcoming MLS fixture against Orlando City on March 1. “We’re going to try to get everyone on the pitch. We need to get minutes for the entire squad, while also being careful since we have a very important match against Orlando in just 72 hours,” he stated.
“Regardless of the loss the other day, for those of us who have been here at Inter Miami for a while, the next game is always the most important—and it’s always the one you have to win,” Mascherano concluded, emphasizing that the mentality remains unchanged despite the uneven start.
Confirmed lineups for Inter Miami and Independiente del Valle
Inter Miami’s confirmed lineup (4-4-2): Rocco Rios Novo; Facundo Mura, Ian Fray, Gonzalo Luján, Ezequiel Abadia-Reda; David Ruiz, Yannick Bright, Alexander Shaw, Santiago Morales; Luis Suárez, Daniel Pinter.
Head coach: Javier Mascherano.
Independiente del Valle’s confirmed lineup (4-3-3): Guido Villar; Juan Viacava, Daykol Romero, Mateo Carabajal, Layan Loor; Matias Perello, Jordy Alcivar, Patrik Mercado, Júnior Sornoza; Djorkaeff Reasco, Emerson Pata.
Head coach: Joaquín Papa.