Coach Mascherano hastily spoke up about Messi, Atlanta United fans had a very surprising reaction

Messi fears being overloaded, affecting his chances of attending the 2026 World Cup

Messi returned to play for Inter Miami for about 35 minutes in the second half of the 2-0 win over Cavaliers (4-0 on aggregate) in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup round of 16. In this match, Messi contributed 1 goal to seal the score, to have 3 goals and 2 assists, after 4 matches playing for Inter Miami since the beginning of the 2025 season.

Messi has just returned to play for about 35 minutes for Inter Miami.

Photo: Reuters

However, doubts remain about whether Messi will be in the best physical condition to continue playing the next matches for Inter Miami in MLS (American professional soccer league), and return to the Argentina team for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers in South America.

This also raises the possibility that he will miss Inter Miami's away match against Atlanta United, the opponent that eliminated them in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs last season.

However, coach Mascherano explained Messi's condition, helping Atlanta United fans to immediately relieve their hesitation, and flock to buy tickets to Mercedes-Benz Stadium (which can accommodate up to 42,500 spectators for football matches) to wait to see their idol play.

"Messi is absolutely fine. He felt very good during and after the match in Jamaica (against the Cavalier Club). Apart from the match, the pitch and the concerns, whether we are taking a risk or not. But we have a plan. I think Messi is feeling very good after playing a few minutes after 3 matches with rest. He will definitely be with us in the match in Atlanta," coach Mascherano explained.

Messi's return to MLS matches has excited American football fans, who had suspected that the famous player would choose to play at Inter Miami's home stadium, instead of away matches due to concerns about travel and physical effects.

Messi has 3 goals and 2 assists, after 4 matches for Inter Miami since the start of the 2025 season

Photo: Reuters

Messi is also said to have a plan to protect himself, because this is an important year with many major tournaments. Meanwhile, next year he is cherishing the intention of participating in the 2026 World Cup with the Argentina team, for the "last dance" before retiring from his illustrious football career.

Inter Miami are now in the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals against Los Angeles FC, with the first leg away on April 3 and the second leg at home on April 10. In MLS, Messi and his teammates are ranked 2nd in the Eastern Conference standings with 7 points after 3 unbeaten matches (2 wins, 1 draw). If they win against Atlanta United (only 4 points after 3 matches), Inter Miami will continue to consolidate their position to aim to defend the Supporters' Shield title they won last season.

In addition to these two tournaments, Inter Miami will also compete in the FIFA Club World Cup and Leagues Cup in June and July this year. At the end of the year, they aim to conquer the MLS Cup championship.

Obviously, this will be a very busy year for Messi, so the famous player is being very careful about his physical condition, avoiding unnecessary overload that could affect his goal of competing in the 2026 World Cup.

Source: https://archive.vietnam.vn/hlv-mascherano-voi-va-len-tieng-ve-messi-cdv-atlanta-united-co-phan-ung-rat-bat-ngo/