Lionel Messi will return to Inter Miami's starting lineup in an MLS match on Saturday, March 2, when Miami will face Sporting Kansas in front of an expected record-breaking crowd of 70,000 at Arrowhead Stadium. This will be the first time since we played against City. A source confirmed this to ESPN.
Coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino's lineup in Kansas City, Missouri, includes fellow stars Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suárez, as the team heads to its new MLS following its exit from the Concacaf Champions Cup. reflects the focus of
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Messi's last MLS start was in a 5-0 win over Orlando City in early March. He injured his hamstring on March 13 in the Concacaf Champions Cup game against Nashville SC.
The Argentine forward played the entirety of the second leg of the Concaf Champions Cup quarterfinal series against CF Monterrey on Wednesday, completing 90 minutes of a game for the first time since March 7.
Despite participating, Miami lost 1-3 (5-2 total) at BBVA Stadium.
“Messi will be available for tomorrow's game,” Miami assistant coach Javier Morales said in a media briefing on Friday. “We'll have to see how he feels today, but if he's fine, he'll be ready to play.
“Messi finished the match in Monterrey without any problems. He will want to play.”
The teams will now turn their attention to the league matches starting with Saturday's matchup. Miami currently sits in third place in the Eastern Conference with 12 points from eight games and a record of 3-2-3.
Sporting KC is expecting a big crowd at the Kansas City Chiefs' 76,416-seat stadium, but tickets are still scarce.
Saturday's attendance will break Sporting KC's current attendance record of 52,424, set during a friendly between the MLS team and Manchester United at Arrowhead in 2010. .
Sporting KC regularly plays its home games at the 18,500-capacity Children's Mercy Park.
The first match between Sporting KC and Miami took place on September 9, 2023, with Miami winning 3-2 with goals from Leonardo Campana and Facundo Farias. This is only the second time the two clubs have faced each other from opposing conferences.
Coach Morales added, “We always have a strong desire to win. We want to give our all in every game.''
