After a lot of waiting and impatience, Lionel Messi will not appear in the starting lineup for Inter Miami against Toronto FC.
The team named Messi as a substitute for Saturday’s match.
It will be a disappointment for fans who were hoping to see the 37-year-old play. Hundreds of fans lined up to watch the Miami bus arrive at BMO Discipline before the game.
Messi has only appeared in one MLS match in Canada after playing against Montreal on May 11. He did not play in Miami’s road game against Vancouver, infuriating some local fans who filed a class-action lawsuit against the Whitecaps and MLS over alleged “baiting.” “-and-switch” used to promote the game.
Questions have been asked about Messi’s availability given the short time frame after playing in Miami’s 3-2 road win over the Columbus Crew on Wednesday night.
Toronto FC needs a win in the regular season finale to maintain its chances of qualifying for the playoffs. Saturday’s competition won’t have nearly the same consequences for Miami.
Miami has already secured a playoff spot and the midweek win in Ohio clinched the Supporters’ Protect as regular season champion. Miami is locked in as the No. 1 seed heading into the playoffs and enjoys guaranteed home-court advantage throughout the postseason. Martino therefore has no incentive to give Messi playing time in Toronto.
There is also the complication of Messi’s international commitments. After Saturday’s MLS match, Messi will fly to South America and join the Argentina national team for two World Cup qualifying matches against Venezuela and Bolivia on October 10 and 15.
— With files from John Molinaro
The source
