Coach Tata Martino has left Lionel Messi out of Inter Miami's squad for their match against Atlanta United. This is the second consecutive match that El Pulga has been absent.
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| Lionel Messi will not play for Inter Miami in their match against Atlanta United due to fitness issues. (Source: Getty Images) |
Lionel Messi has just returned to Inter Miami after completing his duty with the Argentina national team in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. However, this player is not fit enough to play in Inter Miami's away match against Atlanta United at 4:00 am tomorrow morning (Vietnam time).
Coach Tata Martino has left Messi out of Inter Miami's squad for this match. This is the second consecutive match that El Pulga has been absent. Previously, the player did not play in Argentina's win over Bolivia in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers due to fitness issues.
Messi's absence is a big blow for Inter Miami. The Florida club is edging closer to the playoffs for the title. They are currently second to last in the MLS Eastern Conference standings with 28 points, but are only six points behind ninth-placed DC United, having played two games less.
The good news is that in the match without Messi in the recent FIFA Days (international matches according to FIFA's schedule), Inter Miami still won 3-2 against Sporting Kansas City.
According to some sources in the US, coach Tata Martino wants to save Messi's energy before the US Cup final against Houston Dynamo on September 28. Besides, Atlanta United uses artificial turf so coach Tata Martino also does not risk sending Messi on the field because of the high risk of injury.
Speaking to the press, Inter Miami's coach shared: "Messi has not suffered any injuries since returning from the Argentina team. He is completely healthy at this time. However, we do not dare to take risks about Messi's condition. Inter Miami still has many important matches ahead."
Inter Miami's upcoming schedule is quite tight with 5 matches in 15 days. Therefore, the Argentine coach needs to calculate appropriately so that Messi can play, so that he can contribute his best to the club.
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