Will Lionel Messi play today? Potential lineups for Charlotte FC vs Inter Miami in MLS

Inter Miami CF visit Charlotte FC in Major League Soccer, and all eyes are on Lionel Messi.

Major League Soccer returns to action this Saturday following the international break. One of the most intriguing matches of Matchday 30 will be Charlotte FC vs. Inter Miami CF at Bank of America Stadium—especially given the attention surrounding Lionel Messi.

This is a clash between two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. The Crown currently sits in fourth place in the standings with 50 points, seven behind leaders Philadelphia Union. They’re also riding an impressive five-game winning streak across both MLS and the Leagues Cup.

The Herons, meanwhile, have had a more inconsistent run. They reached the final of the Leagues Cup, where they lost to Seattle Sounders, and in MLS, they’re currently in a playoff position. Javier Mascherano’s team sits sixth in the standings with 46 points, but could still climb to the top—if they take maximum points from their four postponed fixtures.

Will Lionel Messi play against Charlotte FC?

As with every Inter Miami match, fan attention—including from opposing sides—is centered on Messi and whether he’ll take the field. The 38-year-old forward had a busy week, traveling to Buenos Aires to play in Argentina’s World Cup qualifier against Venezuela before skipping the Ecuador trip to return early to Miami.

Given that, expectations for Messi to play against Charlotte are positive. In fact, Mascherano expressed optimism about the possibility. “Leo is doing well. He was able to train with us all week, and he trained well, in the best way possible, so he’ll be ready for tomorrow,” said the Inter Miami coach on Friday.

Projected lineup for Charlotte FC

With the goal of defeating the Herons and earning three key points to climb the Eastern Conference standings, Charlotte FC head coach Dean Smith is expected to field his strongest lineup on Saturday.

The projected starting XI: Kristijan Kahlina; Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, Adilson Malanda, Tim Ream, Nathan Byrne; Ashley Westwood, Brandt Bronico, Djibril Diani; Kerwin Vargas, Idan Toklomati, Wilfried Zaha.

Projected lineup for Inter Miami

Javier Mascherano faces serious challenges in putting together a squad for Saturday, due to the suspension of Luis Suarez following incidents in the Leagues Cup final and ongoing fitness concerns for several players, including Baltasar Rodriguez, Fafa Picault, David Ruiz, and Allen Obando.

The projected Inter Miami starting XI: Oscar Ustari; Ian Fray, Maximiliano Falcon, Gonzalo Lujan, Jordi Alba; Rodrigo De Paul, Sergio Busquets, Yannick Bright, Telasco Segovia; Lionel Messi, Tadeo Allende.