Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano opted for caution on Saturday, resting Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul for the club’s road trip to Charlotte FC.
Neither player traveled to North Carolina, with the coaching staff prioritizing their fitness for Wednesday’s high-stakes Concacaf Champions Cup return leg against Nashville SC. The decision left a capacity crowd of 75,000 at Bank of America Stadium disappointed, as the match ultimately ended in a physical 0-0 draw.
The absence of the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner also puts a temporary hold on football history. Messi remains stranded on 899 career goals, just one shy of becoming only the second player in history to reach the 900-goal milestone, trailing only Cristiano Ronaldo’s current tally of 965.
Mascherano, who was sent off late in the match for protesting, defended the rotation, noting that the “insane” demands of the schedule required prioritizing the team’s regional title defense.
With the first leg against Nashville having ended in a scoreless deadlock, the “Herons” are under pressure to find their clinical edge at Chase Stadium this Wednesday.
Luis Suárez, who earned a rare start in Charlotte but failed to break the deadlock, is expected to return to the bench as Messi resumes his pursuit of history. A victory would see the defending MLS Cup champions advance to the Champions Cup quarterfinals, keeping their quest for a continental quadruple alive.
