FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Lionel Messi and struggling Inter Miami remain a work in progress with two matches remaining before the FIFA Club World Cup next month.
Inter Miami, which had the best regular season in MLS history last year, is seventh in the MLS Eastern Conference after a recent stretch of just two wins, three draws and five losses in their last 10 matches across all competitions.
Messi’s side desperately needs a victory, but it isn’t a forgone conclusion one could come Wednesday when Inter Miami hosts CF Montreal – ranked last place in the East, and second-to-last among all MLS teams.
‘Regardless of their position, I think if you watch Montreal’s games, you’ll see that in many of them they deserved much more than they got,’ Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said before Tuesday’s training session.
Montreal enters the match after relinquishing leads and settling for draws at home against two standouts MLS clubs in their last three matches: They finished 1-1 against Columbus Crew on May 14, and drew 2-2 against LAFC on May 28.
Inter Miami ousted LAFC from the Concacaf Champions Cup earlier this season. They beat Columbus Crew 1-0 on April 19, and will host the Crew on Saturday before preparing for the Club World Cup.
Inter Miami enters the Montreal match after storming back with two late goals – a Messi free kick, and another assisted by Messi – in a 3-3 draw with the first-place Philadelphia Union last Saturday. Overall, Inter Miami has conceded 23 goals while scoring 16 goals in their last 10 matches.
‘Above all, I want to prioritize and focus on ourselves, try to maintain what we’ve done in Philadelphia, improve in some areas – especially defensively – and get another win to boost the team’s confidence,’ Mascherano said.
When is the Inter Miami vs. CF Montreal match?
Inter Miami hosts CF Montreal at Chase Stadium on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
How to watch Inter Miami vs. CF Montreal live stream?
The match will be available to stream on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.
Is Messi playing vs. CF Montreal on Wednesday?
Messi is expected to play against Montreal, but his status will be confirmed when Inter Miami announces its starting lineup an hour before the match begins.
How has Inter Miami fared in their last 10 matches?
May 24: Inter Miami settles for 3-3 draw at Philadelphia.
May 18: Inter Miami loses 3-0 at home to Orlando City.
May 14: Inter Miami plays to 3-3 draw at San Jose Earthquakes.
May 10: Inter Miami loses 4-1 on the road to Minnesota United.
May 3: Inter Miami wins 4-1 at home vs. the New York Red Bulls.
April 30: Inter Miami is eliminated after a 3-1 loss (5-1 aggregate score) against the Vancouver Whitecaps in their Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal.
April 27: Inter Miami loses 4-3 at home to FC Dallas.
April 24: Inter Miami loses 2-0 on the road to Vancouver in the first leg of their Champions Cup series.
April 19: Inter Miami wins 1-0 at Columbus Crew.
April 13: Inter Miami settles for scoreless draw on the road vs. Chicago Fire.
Messi to join Argentina before Club World Cup
Messi has been called up by the defending World Cup champions, and expected to play with Argentina for two qualifying matches for the 2026 tournament. Argentina will visit Chile on June 5 and host Colombia on June 10.
Messi, Inter Miami upcoming schedule
May 28: Inter Miami vs. CF Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET
May 31: Inter Miami vs. Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m. ET
Messi, Inter Miami schedule for Club World Cup
June 14: Inter Miami vs. Al Alhy, 8 p.m. ET (Hard Rock Stadium in Miami)
June 19: Inter Miami vs FC Porto, 3 p.m. ET (Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta)
June 23: Inter Miami vs. Palmerias, 9 p.m. ET (Hard Rock Stadium in Miami)