Is Lionel Messi playing today? Inter Miami visit LA Galaxy in first road trip of 2024 MLS season
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 now hit the road for their first away match of the year, traveling across the country on short rest to face the LA Galaxy. Following a preseason tour that saw the Herons travel over 23,000 miles with games in El Salvador, Hong Kong, Japan, and Saudi Arabia, the lengthy trip only adds to the side's early-season road woes.
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.
With that in mind, head coach Gerardo Martino will have his hands full keeping all his aging stars fit and ready for action, and rest will be required at various points of the season. Messi will be at the forefront of those discussions, and his availability will be a chief storyline all year long.
The Sporting News takes a look at Inter Miami's preseason and whether Messi will play this evening.
See Inter Miami's full 2024 schedule here
With Lionel Messi playing the full 90 minutes against Real Salt Lake in the season opener, it seems the Argentine legend is off to a flying start. He didn't get a goal in the match, but did pick up the assist on the first goal of the entire 2024 MLS season.
However, on a short turnaround with just four days between matches, it's possible that Messi could possibly see less than 90 minutes, and that will be spoken about as the days go by. At this stage, it's unclear whether Lionel Messi will take part in the weekend's game and in what capacity.
Tata Martino has a number of injuries
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