Will Lionel Messi be rested by Inter Miami? MLS Cup winners won’t make ‘big mistake’ in bid for multiple trophies

Javier Mascherano’s side swept their way to a historic MLS Cup win last season, with talismanic captain Messi ending the campaign with Golden Boot and MVP honours to his name. The Argentine GOAT has registered three goals through his last two appearances.

Inter Miami are back in the winning habit, having opened 2026 with defeat at LAFC, and are about to turn their attention to a Champions Cup encounter with Nashville. They intend to take that tournament seriously.

Mascherano insists that he will not be drawing up a list of priorities when it comes to trophy bids, with the plan being to compete on all fronts, but that means his pack will need to be shuffled on a regular basis - with even Messi getting taken out of the firing line at times. 

Mascherano has said: “I think it would be a big mistake to choose which competitions to focus on. We’re a team that has to compete equally in every competition.

“For us, the Champions League in this first half of the season is a very important competition, and we’re going to give it that value. We’ll try to go as far as possible, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to throw away the league matches.

“Last year, the team was able to compete in every competition we entered, and we did so at a high level, reaching almost the final in all of them except the Club World Cup. So, this year, we’ll try to do the same and even go further in the Champions League.

“Clearly, at some point we’ll have to start managing the players’ minutes as well. Playing every three or four days is a big drain, especially in this first part of the season where we’ve had to play away games all the time. That’s also something to keep in mind, and it does generate even more wear and tear.”

Inter Miami will continue to send Messi into battle for now, with the Herons looking to build early-season momentum. The Argentine GOAT is also keen to see as much action as possible before making a decision on his involvement at the 2026 World Cup.

The evergreen 38-year-old has been moving through the gears nicely of late, with another typically clinical finish being delivered when finding the target in a 2-1 victory at D.C. United. While pleased to pick up another win there, Mascherano admits that there is still room for improvement from his team.

He said of collective efforts, with the Herons left hanging on slightly towards the end of their latest MLS fixture: “Now, we have to try to close out games better. The feeling of not being in control of the game is unusual for us because we are a team that thrives on being in control and when we’re not, we are displeased. That’s something we have to improve. The second half was very difficult, we gave up too much space and didn’t create enough scoring chances.”

Inter Miami will be in midweek Champions Cup action, before heading to Charlotte on Saturday. A first outing at the newly-constructed Nu Stadium is set to take place in early April, with Chase Stadium still being used for now.