Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi will not play in the club’s Major League Soccer game against the Houston Dynamo on Sunday. The move is part of the team’s overall plan to manage Messi’s minutes during the grueling season.
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Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi, who is 37 years old, will not accompany the team to Houston for the game against the Houston Dynamo. This move has been confirmed by a club spokesperson, citing that it is in no way related to any injury issues. Messi is being rested as part of the move to control his minutes and keep him in top physical form throughout the campaign.
In deciding on such an option, the coaching and medical staff of Inter Miami are trying to have their star players remain fit, especially Messi, who has been influential on the club’s success since his arrival there. Given that the club feels he is not urgently needed on a certain game, leave him out that would let him recover better and be ready for the upcoming greater difficult games.
Strategic Player Rotation Amidst Busy Schedule
Inter Miami is now facing a busy and crowded fixture list, especially since the 2025 MLS season has already begun. The MLS opener of last week was sandwiched between the two matches of the team’s CONCACAF Champions Cup first-round tie. Messi played all those games, but with the fixtures being as crowded as they were, the choice was made to leave him out on Sunday.
This would have been the fourth game for Messi in only 12 days, which might be too much for a player of his age. The move to rest Messi for this specific match is part of a larger-scale player rotation strategy to keep the team’s top players, including Messi, fresh and injury-free throughout the season.
High-Profile Broadcast for the Match
Although Messi was not present, Sunday’s match against Houston Dynamo is important because it has been chosen for the “Sunday Night Soccer” television broadcast on Apple TV. Major League Soccer (MLS) hopes to raise its profile and level of fan involvement with this new television broadcast strategy, and the match will likely attract a lot of attention.
The lack of Messi, nonetheless, does not diminish the significance of this game within MLS’s overall strategy. The club’s choice to keep their leading player rested is by their long-term performance and health goals, even amid increased broadcast expectations.
Training and Team Preparation
Messi’s absence from the match in Houston follows his full training on Friday. He took his turn being taught by his fellow Argentinean striker, Luis Suarez.
But while Messi is staying in Miami for this match, Suarez has joined the team traveling to Houston, where he becomes available for the Sunday match. This demonstrates the extraordinary balancing act that Inter Miami, according to him, is attempting to maintain with player rotations against the best options on the field.
Looking Ahead: Upcoming Fixtures and Messi’s Role
Resting Messi for the match against the Dynamo is part of a bigger Inter Miami plan of managing his role in upcoming games. The CONCACAF action would next see the team hosting Jamaican side Cavalier for the first leg of their two-legged tie, where Messi is expected to play and add to his immense value to the international endeavor of the team.
Inter Miami’s schedule will be busy in March, with the first eight matches of the season occurring within 26 days. Still, that will enhance strategic rotation of players for that time. Messi’s schedule will also be structured so that he can render critical service without being overbearing during this transitional period.
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