Messi Set to Travel with Inter Miami for CONCACAF Champions Cup Clash Against Cavalier

Inter Miami’s talisman Lionel Messi is set to travel with the squad to Jamaica for their CONCACAF Champions Cup second-leg encounter against Cavalier, head coach Javier Mascherano confirmed on Wednesday.

The Argentine star has missed Miami’s last three matches, including their 4-1 win over Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer (MLS) and the 2-0 first-leg victory over Cavalier. He also remained on the bench in Sunday’s narrow 1-0 triumph against Charlotte.

Mascherano, who played alongside Messi at Barcelona and the Argentina national team, assured that the 36-year-old’s absence was a precautionary measure to manage his workload rather than an injury concern.

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"Leo Messi is on the roster and will travel with the team to Jamaica," Mascherano stated. "Tomorrow (Thursday), we will decide what is best for the game—whether he starts or comes in later from the bench. Today he trained with the team, and the sensations were good. We’re happy he’ll be with us for this match."

The highly anticipated showdown at Kingston’s National Stadium, which holds a capacity of 35,000, is expected to draw a full house. While Messi has faced Jamaica’s national team before, this will be his first-ever match on Jamaican soil.

Cavalier’s head coach and sporting director, Rudolph Speid, remains optimistic that his side can overturn the first-leg deficit, despite facing a Miami squad featuring former Barcelona stars Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, and Luis Suárez.

"It is about normalizing the Inter Miami team so that our players feel comfortable playing against footballers of such high esteem," Speid remarked. "Jordi Alba is 35, but he runs like he's 25. Sergio Busquets is brilliant—it's difficult to take the ball off him. And Lionel Messi… I don’t even have to say anything."

With Miami looking to secure a spot in the next round and Cavalier seeking an upset, all eyes will be on whether Messi makes his much-anticipated return to action in Jamaica.