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Lionel Messi, the Argentine soccer superstar, was expected to play his first Major League Soccer (MLS) game against the New York Red Bulls on Sunday, August 27, at the Red Bull Arena, but now there are doubts over his involvement. Tata Martino, the manager of Inter Miami, claimed that his star player was nearing his "physical limit," suggesting that Messi might need a break and not play.
Messi has scored in every game he has played for Inter Miami so far, helping them win the Leagues Cup title and their first trophy. The four-time Champions League winner also assisted twice in the dying minutes to help Miami come back from a 2-0 deficit against Cincinnati in the US Open Cup semifinal. Miami eventually won on penalties after the game ended 3-3 and will face the Houston Dynamo in the finals.
"Both Messi and many other players are reaching an important physical limit and from today we will evaluate how we approach the next three games," said Martino."At some point, Messi should stop to recover because playing every three or four days is a lot. But, as long as he doesn't tell me anything, he will stay on the pitch. You know how he is and how he likes to play,” the coach added.
What is the Physical Limit?
Messi played for a total of 120 minutes in that penalty shootout victory, and the 36-year-old has played eight games in 33 days since making his debut on July 21. In that time, he has played nearly 750 minutes of football and scored 10 goals. Miami coach Tata Martino is beginning to worry about the former Barcelona captain's fitness after playing several games in a row.
Messi's first MLS game against New York will be a historic occasion for American football, and the match is expected to be a sell-out event, with tickets going for as much as $23,528 each. The fans will hope to watch a full 90 minutes of Messi magic on his debut, but he will eventually have to take some rest in the coming games.
