Inter Miami have ensured a strong start to the 2025 Major League Soccer season. The Herons remain undefeated after six league matches with four wins, two draws, and 14 points on the board.
Javier Mascherano’s side also bagged their first-ever qualification for the Concacaf Champions Cup semi-finals earlier this week, as talismanic captain Lionel Messi scored a brace.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is Inter Miami’s leading goal scorer so far this season and recently became their all-time leading scorer in MLS history.
Messi has netted eight goals and provided three assists in nine appearances so far this season. His consistency in goal scoring and goal creation has led to fan calls for him to feature in every match.
However, a balance needs to be struck, amid prevailing fitness concerns on Messi, which worsened following a recent minor muscle issue as he missed Argentina’s two 2026 World Cup qualifiers in March’s international break.
No risks will be taken on Messi’s fitness and Mascherano will manage his game-time with exact precision.
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What did Javier Mascherano on Lionel Messi’s fitness?
Mascherano has been candid about his approach to Messi’s role. Ahead of the Herons’ MLS clash with Chicago Fire today at Soldier Field, the Argentinian spoke about playing Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets regularly.
The quartet have been teammates since their Barcelona days, but their rising ages have put restrictions on their availablity.
Mascherano said (via GOAL) that their presence in the upcoming matches depends on overall well-being as he aims to utilize them to the fullest over the entire season.
“If they are feeling fine, they will play, and by feeling fine, I mean 100% physically and mentally. If any of them are not, they will rest, but our idea is always to put the best out there,” he said.
“It was the same against Toronto last week. [Some] may have questioned us playing with ‘The Big Four’ in that game, and yes, sometimes you must manage minutes, but the team dynamics and getting good results are also important. Those four help us a lot with leadership on game days. We want to manage their loads but also use them as much as possible.”
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