Inter Miami Handed Major Lionel Messi Fitness Update for LAFC Opener

The Herons open up their MLS Cup title defense against the Black & Gold in Los Angeles.

Lionel Messi is nursing a minor muscle strain. | Martín Fonseca/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

Inter Miami will breathe a sigh of relief now that their captain Lionel Messi returned to training ahead of the Herons’ 2026 Major League Soccer opener against LAFC on Saturday night.

Alarm bells sounded for the defending MLS Cup winners when Messi withdrew just 12 minutes into the second half of the team’s preseason friendly against Ecuador’s Barcelona SC. The club then confirmed the Argentine sustained a “muscle strain in his left hamstring.”

Inter Miami did not give a recovery timeline for Messi and fans feared the worst in the days leading up to the Herons’ trip to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Concerns were alleviated, though, when the Barcelona legend participated in full training with the team on Wednesday afternoon.

Lionel Messi returns to training with the team ahead of the MLS season opener against LAFC on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/8WJqFjwPBg

— Lizzy Becherano (@lizzy_becherano) February 18, 2026

Messi was joined by the team’s recent signings, including Javier Mascherano’s new DP Germán Berterame. The two players already looked dangerous playing alongside one another in preseason; the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner scored the Herons’ opener against Barcelona SC and then set up Berterame for the team’s second.

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Will Lionel Messi Play for Inter Miami vs. LAFC?

Lionel Messi is still a minor doubt for the Herons’ MLS season opener. | Esteban Vega La-Rotta/AFP/Getty Images

As of now, all signs indicate Messi will at least travel with the Herons to Los Angeles for their clash with LAFC at the weekend. Returning to training days before the all-important fixture is a great sign for the forward, whose injury appeared only a minor issue.

If there is no setback or extra inklings of pain from Messi in the coming days, it’s hard to imagine the 38-year-old missing out on the game. At the very least, he would feature off the bench should Mascherano want to take an extremely reserved approach with his star player.

Much like last season, Messi’s long-term fitness will remain the club’s top priority, especially eyeing back-to-back MLS Cups. Plus, this summer’s World Cup adds an additional pressure to keep the Argentina international healthy so he can lead La Albiceleste in what will likely be his last.

Expect Inter Miami to proceed with the utmost caution when it comes to Messi, not just for Saturday’s game, but in the months leading up to the sport’s biggest tournament.

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Messi’s Record Against LAFC Speaks for Itself

Lionel Messi has found plenty of success against LAFC in the past. | Megan Briggs/Getty Images

It goes without saying that Mascherano will want Messi leading his team out the tunnel on Saturday night in Los Angeles. Even at age 38, the icon is the best player in MLS and the Herons’ biggest asset going against fellow 2026 MLS Cup favorites LAFC.

Beyond just his skill and leadership, though, Messi’s record against the Black & Gold spells trouble for Marc Dos Santos’s men. The Argentine has played three games against the Western Conference side since making the move to the United States and has five goal contributions to his name.

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Games vs. LAFC	Goals vs. LAFC	Assists vs. LAFC
3	2	3

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Messi led a brilliant comeback against LAFC in the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals last season, bagging a brace and an assist in the second leg of the tie to send Inter Miami through to the semifinals 3–2 on aggregate.

Otherwise, Messi only ever faced off with the Los Angeles-based outfit once in MLS action, and that clash came back in 2023. The former Barcelona star did not find the back of the net on that occasion, but he did set up two of the Herons’ three goals on the night.

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