Leo Messi faces race against time for LAFC opener as Inter Miami remain silent on recovery timeline, as ESPN Argentina reports two-week healing period for hamstring strain
Inter Miami have maintained silence since Wednesday’s announcement cancelling their Puerto Rico friendly, leaving Leo Messi‘s availability for the club’s February 21 MLS season opener against LAFC shrouded in uncertainty.
The lack of updates has only intensified scrutiny surrounding the 38-year-old’s recovery from a left hamstring strain sustained during a friendly against Barcelona SC in Ecuador on February 7.
ESPN Argentina has reported that the injury requires at least two weeks to heal from the date it occurred, which would rule out Messi’s participation in the highly anticipated Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum clash.
The timeline suggests the rescheduled friendly against Independiente del Valle on February 26 represents a more realistic target for his return, though even that remains dependent on his clinical and functional progress.
Inter Miami‘s official statement Wednesday confirmed Messi did not participate in training due to the muscle strain, which has persisted since he left the Ecuador match early.
Additional medical testing verified the diagnosis, but the club has avoided providing specific recovery windows publicly.
“Messi did not participate in training this Wednesday, February 11, due to a muscle strain in his left hamstring sustained during the match against Barcelona SC in Ecuador, which has persisted since then,” the club announced.
“The player underwent additional medical tests that confirmed the diagnosis. His gradual return to training will depend on his clinical and functional progress in the coming days.”
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Puerto Rico postponement reflects cautious approach
The decision to reschedule the Independiente del Valle friendly from February 14 to February 26 demonstrates Inter Miami‘s willingness to prioritise Messi’s long-term health over short-term commitments.
The original match would have fallen just days before the LAFC opener, creating impossible pressure to rush him back prematurely.
“We know how much our fans look forward to every match involving our team. We hope to see you all very soon,” Inter Miami stated when announcing the postponement.
Messi himself addressed Puerto Rican supporters through social media, offering a personal explanation for the postponement and expressing genuine regret about missing the opportunity to visit.
“Hi everyone, I wanted to send this message to the people of Puerto Rico and all the people that will be going to the training session and game,” Messi said in a video.
“To be honest, during the last game in Ecuador I concluded with a muscle strain, which is why I left the field early. So, together with the people of the organisation and Inter Miami it was decided to suspend this game. We hope it can be rescheduled, and we can see each other. Visit you soon. Sending a hug to you all and thank you for all the love that you always give. I hope we can do it in the future, all the best.”
MLS showpiece season opener in doubt
The timing couldn’t be worse from MLS‘s perspective. The league designated the Inter Miami vs LAFC match as its marquee season-opening attraction, moving it to the historic 77,500-capacity Coliseum specifically to showcase the Messi-Son Heung-min showdown. Without the Argentine, attendance projections and television ratings would suffer dramatically.
