Inter Miami’s head coach, Guillermo Hoyos, indicated he will be discussing Lionel Messi’s potential return to the field after his participation in the 2026 World Cup with the Argentina national team.
This week, Messi and Rodrigo De Paul returned to training with Inter Miami after competing in the World Cup final against Spain on July 19 in New Jersey.
Hoyos remarked on Friday, “We’ve been discussing this topic. He just got back, and we haven’t had the opportunity for a detailed conversation yet. We’re truly excited that both players are back at the club. It’s wonderful to have them here.”
During the World Cup, Messi scored eight goals and provided four assists, leading Argentina to the final for the second consecutive event. He played the entire 120 minutes of the match, while De Paul participated for 70 minutes.
After the final, Messi and De Paul were given a few days off, which resulted in their absence from Inter Miami’s matches against the Chicago Fire FC and CF Montréal. They were also excused from the MLS All-Star match, despite being selected for the roster.
Inter Miami will host the Columbus Crew at Nu Stadium on Saturday before gearing up for the Leagues Cup clash against Atlético San Luis on August 5.
Hoyos expressed concerns about the upcoming schedule, noting the challenges they face with numerous matches in a short period. “It’s going to be quite tough because of the number of matches. We will have a real congestion of games over the coming weeks, with very little time to rest,” he explained.
“It’s essentially a cycle of matches and little rest in between. The heavy match load is quite taxing, and the competition is demanding,” he added.
Inter Miami previously won the 2023 Leagues Cup and advanced to the final in 2025 before losing to the Seattle Sounders FC.