2x FIFA Champ Mia Hamm reflects on Messi Mania in the US
Mia Hamm is not surprised at all by how Lionel Messi has taken America by storm.
Sports Seriously, USA TODAY
Lionel Messi has traveled with Inter Miami and intends to play in the club’s final game of the MLS season tonight against Charlotte FC at Bank of America Stadium.
But how much Messi will play, and even why he’s playing, are two questions surrounding the world’s greatest soccer player for this inconsequential MLS match.
Messi has recovered from a right leg injury that hampered him for much of September, causing him to miss matches in Atlanta, Orlando and Chicago last month.
Inter Miami has also been eliminated from the MLS postseason, so this will be Messi’s final MLS match in his first year with the club co-owned by David Beckham, and Jorge and Jose Mas.
Still, fans in Charlotte could see Messi – 2022 World Cup champion and seven-time Ballon d’Or winner – take the pitch one more time this season.
The game will be broadcast by Apple TV. Kickoff is 6 p.m.
Not only is Messi playing, but he will be starting: Messi was announced as one of Inter Miami’s starters for the Charlotte match on Saturday.
How much Messi will play in the match remains to be seen. Maybe, he plays in the first half. Maybe, he’ll have an early exit after halftime.
Who knows? Maybe, Messi will play the entire match just because.
For the first time in the Messi era, he will wear Inter Miami’s black jersey in today’s match against Charlotte.
Messi and Inter Miami has routinely worn their pink jerseys, known as the Heartbeat Kit, since he joined the club in late July.
Inter Miami teased its jersey kit in a social media post before the game, a treat for Messi fans who have been waiting patiently to see him in Inter Miami’s La Noche kit.
Messi says he will play in Charlotte
It is unclear whether Messi will start or come off the bench, but Messi will be available for selection in Inter Miami’s lineup.
Messi shared his intention to play in the match after his recent outing, where he scored two goals to lift Argentina past Peru late Tuesday night in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match.
“I will train, I will play our remaining upcoming match,” Messi said during a sideline interview with TyC Sports and TVP after the Peru game.
Messi trained with his Inter Miami teammates on Friday, and assistant coach Javi Morales said the club will determine how much he will play before Saturday’s match.
“He returned well, he played 90 minutes with Argentina. He returned with no problem, nothing to be concerned of from what had happened to him in the past,” Morales said of Messi.
“He is doing very well, in good condition, with the desire to play, which is what he likes to do, so we’re good.”
Why Messi’s decision to play in Charlotte is unique
Messi’s decision to play at Charlotte FC is pertinent because it’ll be the first match he plays on artificial turf in the MLS.
During Messi’s first and only Inter Miami press conference in August, he appeared open to the idea of playing on turf.
“All of my lower leagues, I’ve always played on turf,” Messi said.
“That was a long time ago and it’s been a long time since I played on synthetic turf. But I have no problem adapting to turf again.”
While MLS commissioner Don Garber said he hoped MLS teams playing on turf would roll out a grass surface on top of it, Charlotte was quite vocal in being against the notion just for Messi.
“All of our Major League Soccer matches are scheduled to be played on turf and there is no plan to change to natural grass,” Charlotte FC said in a July statement.
How did Messi fare in his last three matches?
Messi appears close to 100 percent healthy after Argentina’s 2-0 win over Peru last Tuesday. He scored in the 32nd and 42nd minutes, and was determined for a hat trick that did not come to fruition.
He appeared sharp and back in shape, playing from start to finish for the first time since a right leg injury with Argentina on Sept. 7 hampered him for much of the last six weeks with Inter Miami.
It was a drastic improvement from his previous two appearances: Messi’s rust showed as he hit the crossbar twice in Argentina’s match against Paraguay on Oct. 12. One of those instances included a free kick on goal, which Messi has routinely made since joining Inter Miami this summer.
Still, it was a better outing than his Inter Miami return against FC Cincinnati on Oct. 7, when he didn’t have a shot on goal. Inter Miami lost 1-0, the club’s first loss with Messi in the lineup that ended their MLS postseason hopes.
Messi also detailed his plans for his offseason after the Peru match.
But he didn’t mention participating in Inter Miami’s two international friendlies against Chinese super teams in early November.
“I will train, I will play our remaining upcoming match and I will try to get here [to the national team] in the best possible way for November [qualifying matches],” Messi said.
“After that, I will enjoy the holidays in Argentina. It’s the first time that I am going to have more days off in December, with the holidays, with peace of mind, with my people. In January, I will return again to do preseason. Start from scratch and prepare as best as possible as always.”
Inter Miami will play two friendlies in China on Nov. 5 and 8 to capitalize on Messi’s worldwide brand while enhancing its own globally.
Inter Miami will play Qingdao Hainiu F.C. in Qingdao, China on Nov. 5 at the Qingdao Youth Football Stadium on Nov. 5, and face Chengdu Rongcheng in Chengdu, China on Nov. 8 at the Phoenix Hill Sports Park.
Messi will likely return to the Argentine team for matches against Uruguay on Nov. 16 and Brazil on Nov. 21.
