Messi’s absence from the away match between Inter Miami and Houston Dynamo FC, 4-1 on March 3 in the second round of MLS, continued to cause fierce controversy, forcing coach Mascherano to speak up to explain.

“I said it before and I’ll say it again, Messi is not injured, but he is tired and overloaded. He was injured at this stage last year and we want to avoid that. So we are being careful. I have not decided on the squad for the next game yet, we will see who is eligible to play,” coach Mascherano emphasized at a press conference before Inter Miami’s match against Cavalier SC (of Jamaica) in the first leg of the round of 16 of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, taking place at 8am on March 7.

Previously, the American press continuously criticized Coach Mascherano’s decision to let Messi rest in the match against Houston Dynamo FC, causing fans to be disappointed and the team had to pay for free tickets to another match at the club’s home stadium in the MLS this season (American professional soccer league).

Some sources from the American press also said that Messi will consider playing away in the 2025 season, the Argentine star will only choose favorable matches to play. The rest, he will focus on playing home matches to avoid overload.

Furthermore, this season Inter Miami is participating in 5 major tournaments, including MLS, MLS Cup playoffs, cup competitions such as CONCACAF Champions Cup, Leagues Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.

Messi focuses on playing and helping Inter Miami go as far as possible in cup competitions, aiming to win 1-2 championships. Therefore, this famous player is very careful with his physical condition and fitness. In addition, he also has periods of returning to the Argentina national team, completing his place at the 2026 World Cup and considering plans to compete in the world’s biggest tournament next year.

However, Messi’s calculation, in the short term, may cause fans of clubs that meet Inter Miami at their home stadium this season in MLS to be disadvantaged, because they will not be sure whether they will be able to see their idol play or not.

According to Marca (Spain): “Ticket prices always increase very high for away matches with Messi due to the attraction of viewers. However, with the current forecast, fans will have to consider whether to buy tickets at high prices or not, while no one is sure whether this famous player will come to play, as in the case of Houston Dynamo FC.”

Meanwhile, the MLS Disciplinary Committee has once again fined an Inter Miami player for violating league rules by touching an opponent’s face/head/neck with his hands. The latest player to receive the punishment was Jordi Alba in the match against Houston Dynamo FC. Previously, Messi and Suarez were also punished in a similar manner in the 2-2 draw with New York City FC.