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Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami kicked off the 2024 season with a winning performance, albeit an ugly one, as they topped Real Salt Lake 2-0 at home.
They then hit the road for their first away match of the year, travelling across the country on short rest to face the LA Galaxy in a game that finished 1-1. Following a preseason tour that saw the Herons clock up over 23,000 miles with games in El Salvador, Hong Kong, Japan, and Saudi Arabia, the lengthy trip only added to a heavy workload.
Messi was electric in the opener against RSL, assisting the first goal and generating the chance for the second, but the same could not be said of his teammates who were sloppy both on and off the ball, especially in the second half as their legs tired.
Miami were in far better form as they dispatched Florida rivals Orlando City 5-0, but Messi seemed to suffer a knock in the 2-2 CONCACAF Champions Cup draw with Nashville and was therefore rested for the home loss to Montreal on March 10.
The Sporting News takes a look at whether Messi will play in their next game.
MORE: See Inter Miami’s full 2024 schedule here
Is Lionel Messi playing today? Next Inter Miami match
After missing out on Inter Miami’s 3-1 victory over D.C. United last weekend, it now appears as though Messi will miss their clash with New York Red Bulls.
Martino told reports that Messi had only trained four times this week and it was light training, indicating he is not ready to play this weekend.
The next opportunity for him to represent Inter will be against the other New York side, NYCFC. This time at Chase Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on March 30, 2024.
Inter Miami full MLS fixture list for 2024 season
Inter Miami will kick off the 2024 MLS season against Real Salt Lake on February 21, 2024. Their regular-season campaign will conclude on Decision Day on October 19, when they face New England Revolution.
| Date | Opponent | Location | Result |
| Weds, Feb. 21 | Real Salt Lake | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | W 2-0 |
| Sun, Feb. 25 | LA Galaxy | Dignity Health Sports Park (Carson, CA) | D 1-1 |
| Sat, March 2 | Orlando City | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | W 5-0 |
| Fri, March 8 | Nashville SC | Geodis Park (Nashville, TN) | D 2-2 |
| Sun, March 10 | Montreal | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | L 3-2 |
| Sat, March 16 | D.C. United | Audi Field (Washington, DC) | W 3-1 |
| Sat, March 23 | NY Red Bulls | Red Bull Arena (Harrison, NJ) | |
| Sat, March 30 | NYCFC | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | |
| Sat, April 6 | Colorado Rapids | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | |
| Sat, April 13 | Sporting KC | Children’s Mercy Park (Kansas City, KS) | |
| Sat, April 20 | Nashville SC | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | |
| Sat, April 27 | New England Revolution | Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, MA) | |
| Sat, May 4 | NY Red Bulls | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | |
| Sat, May 11 | Montreal | Stade Saputo (Montreal, Canada) | |
| Wed, May 15 | Orlando City | Exploria Stadium (Orlando, FL) | |
| Sat, May 18 | D.C. United | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | |
| Sat, May 25 | Vancouver Whitecaps | BC Place (Vancouver, Canada) | |
| Wed, May 29 | Atlanta United | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | |
| Sat, June 1 | St. Louis City | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | |
| Sat, June 15 | Philadelphia Union | Subaru Park (Chester, PA) | |
| Wed, June 19 | Columbus Crew | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | |
| Sat, June 29 | Nashville SC | GEODIS Park (Nashville, TN) | |
| Wed, July 3 | Charlotte FC | Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, NC) | |
| Sat, July 6 | FC Cincinnati | TQL Stadium (Cincinnati, OH) | |
| Wed, July 17 | Toronto | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | |
| Sat, July 20 | Chicago Fire | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | |
| Sat, Aug. 24 | FC Cincinnati | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | |
| Sat, Aug. 31 | Chicago Fire | Soldier Field (Chicago, IL) | |
| Sat, Sep. 14 | Philadelphia Union | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | |
| Wed, Sep. 18 | Atlanta United | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) | |
| Sat, Sep. 21 | NYCFC | Yankee Stadium (New York City, NY) | |
| Sat, Sep. 28 | Charlotte FC | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | |
| Wed, Oct. 2 | Columbus Crew | Lower.com Field (Columbus, OH) | |
| Sat, Oct. 5 | Toronto | BMO Field (Toronto, Canada) | |
| Sat, Oct. 19 | New England Revolution | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) |
Inter Miami schedule for Leagues Cup
The 2024 Leagues Cup is scheduled to begin on July 26, running for a month while the MLS season pauses play.
The final will take place on August 25, after which MLS league play will resume. Inter Miami were drawn against two Mexican clubs in Tigres UNAL and Puebla for the group stage. The top two teams in each group qualify for the knockout stage, while the bottom side is eliminated.
The full schedule has not yet been released for the Leagues Cup.
Inter Miami schedule for CONCACAF Champions Cup
The 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup, North and Central America’s continental club competition, began on February 6, but Inter Miami secured a bye through to the Round of 16 via their qualification as Leagues Cup champions.
Thus, Inter Miami’s first CCC match is against fellow MLS side Nashville SC.
| Round | Date | Opponent | Score |
| Round of 16 — 1st Leg | Thu, Mar. 7 | Nashville SC | Nashville 2-2 Inter Miami |
| Round of 16 — 2nd Leg | Wed, Mar. 13 | Nashville SC | Inter Miami 3 (5) – (3) 1 Nashville |
| Quarterfinals — 1st Leg | Wed, Apr. 3 | Monterrey | TBD |
| Quarterfinals — 2nd Leg | Wed, Apr. 10 | Monterrey | TBD |
| Semifinals — 1st Leg | Apr. 23-25 | TBD (if qualified) | TBD |
| Semifinals — 2nd Leg | Apr. 30-May 2 | TBD (if qualified) | TBD |
| Final | June 2, 2024 | TBD (if qualified) | TBD |
How did Inter Miami play in preseason?
Inter Miami preseason fixtures and results
Inter Miami’s preseason began with matches against the El Salvador national team and FC Dallas before embarking on a tour of Asia in February.
They began with a game against the top players from the Hong Kong First Division at Hong Kong Stadium, where approximately 40,000 fans attended. Despite the absence of Messi and Suarez due to injury, Martino apologised to disappointed fans, emphasising the medical risks involved.
The tour continued on to Tokyo, where Inter faced J1 League champions Vissel Kobe at the Japan National Stadium, featuring a special guest appearance by Andres Iniesta.
Following the Asia trip, Inter Miami returned home to host Newell’s Old Boys, Messi’s boyhood club, in a friendly at Chase Stadium in Miami. That concluded the club’s preseason tour, readying them for the 2024 regular season.
| Date | Match | Location |
| Fri, Nov. 10, 2024 | Inter Miami 1-2 New York City FC | DRV PNK Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA) |
| Fri, Jan. 19, 2024 | Inter Miami 0-0 El Salvador | Estadio Cuscatlan (San Salvador, El Salvador) |
| Mon, Jan. 22, 2024 | Inter Miami 0-1 FC Dallas | Cotton Bowl (Dallas, TX) |
| Mon, Jan. 29, 2024 | Al Hilal 4-3 Inter Miami | Kingdom Arena (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) |
| Thu, Feb. 1, 2024 | Al Nassr 6-0 Inter Miami | Kingdom Arena (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) |
| Sun, Feb. 4, 2024 | Hong Kong All Stars 1-4 Inter Miami | Hong Kong Stadium (Causeway Bay, Hong Kong) |
| Wed, Feb. 7, 2024 | Vissel Kobe 0-0 Inter Miami | Japan National Stadium (Tokyo, Japan) |
| Thu, Feb. 15, 2024 | Inter Miami 1-1 Newell’s Old Boys | DRV PNK Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA) |