Lionel Messi and his former Barcelona teammates will be in action with Inter Miami as the Major League Soccer club begins its worldwide preseason tour this week.
Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba were all listed on Inter Miami’s travel roster and will travel for Friday’s game against the El Salvador national team at the Estadio Cuscatlán in San Salvador on Friday at 8 p.m.
But how much will Messi and his friends play in El Salvador is a looming question for many.
Inter Miami coach Tata Martino, unintentionally, caused a stir last week when he said some players will have limited minutes in the first two preseason games, the second against FC Dallas at Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas on Jan. 22.
How to watch Inter Miami vs. El Salvador match
The Inter Miami and El Salvador national team match will broadcast online in English on MLSsoccer.com and in Spanish on MLSes.com.
Will Messi play for Inter Miami vs. El Salvador?
He’s traveling with the team, so it’s likely. How many minutes he plays is the question.
Inter Miami’s worldwide preseason tour features a Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo matchup among two games in Saudi Arabia, with stops in Japan and China before the MLS season. With seven games in six cities spanning two continents, Inter Miami must wisely balance player availability while promoting its brand this preseason.
“We understand the business side and sport side, and we try to have both coexist without exceeding one or the other,” Martino said during MLS day last week in Miami. “We have to balance how much each players participates.
‘The games in Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and Japan were planned from the end of last season, and we will be ready for those. The question is how we we manage the first two games against El Salvador and Dallas because those are so soon. We will have to made decisions about how many minutes certain players can play in those games.”
What is Inter Miami’s preseason schedule?
Here are the seven games Inter Miami will play this preseason:
∎Inter Miami vs. El Salvador at Estadio Cuscatlán (San Salvador, El Salvador) on Friday, 8 p.m. ET.
∎Inter Miami vs. FC Dallas at Cotton Bowl Stadium (Dallas) on Jan. 22, 6 p.m. ET
∎Inter Miami vs. Al Hilal SFC at Kingdom Arena (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) on Jan. 29 at 1 p.m. ET.
∎Messi vs. Ronaldo: Inter Miami vs. Al Nassr FC at Kingdom Arena (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) on Feb. 1 at 1 p.m. ET.
∎Inter Miami vs. Hong Kong Team at Hong Kong Stadium (Hong Kong) on Feb. 4 (time TBA).
∎Inter Miami vs. Vissel Kobe at Japan National Stadium (Tokyo) on Feb. 7 (time TBA).
∎Inter Miami vs. Newell’s Old Boys at DRV PNK Stadium (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) on Feb. 15 (time TBA).
Inter Miami’s 2024 regular season begins at home against Real Salt Lake on Feb. 21 at 8 p.m. ET.