Lionel Messi, now 37, has been quite active lately with Inter Miami. His latest appearance was in the team's 2-1 victory over Atlanta United, where he netted a goal in the first half.

After a busy start to the 2025 season, playing three matches in just a week, Inter Miami's head coach, Javier Mascherano, opted to give Messi a break for three games. He sat out matches against Houston Dynamo, Cavalier FC, and Charlotte FC. However, he made his comeback against Cavalier in the second leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 on Thursday.

Mascherano defended the team's approach to managing Messi's fitness, stating, “There were some concerns about us taking a risk, but we had a plan in place. The goal was for him to play 30-35 minutes in Jamaica to get back into a good rhythm. In the end, we managed to execute it well.”

“We aimed to reduce the strain on Messi to prevent any further issues. We tried to handle it as best as we could. Fortunately, we were able to keep it under control, avoiding any injuries or complications. He’s feeling better now, and we decided to start giving him more playing time. There’s no mystery to it.”

Javier Mascherano: "I've spoken with the Argentina team's doctors."

Messi is set to play for Argentina during the international window in March, and Mascherano mentioned that the medical team from Inter Miami has been in regular communication with the doctors from the Argentine national team.

“The doctors from the national team are in touch with the ones here, and they handle all the discussions about that. I haven’t chatted with the coaching staff, but if they need any advice, I’m here to help. I doubt it’ll be necessary since the doctors are always in contact,” he said.

In March, Argentina will take on Uruguay and Brazil in their World Cup qualifying matches. They currently sit at the top of the CONMEBOL standings with 25 points from 12 games.

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