Here's the latest on Messi's injury and what's next for Inter Miami in MLS' final stretch

MIAMI — Inter Miami, the most expensive and hyped team in MLS history, began the 2024 season with hopes that matched its league-record $41.7 million roster.

As the team embarked on a five-nation preseason global tour, the possibility of a trifecta of trophies this year hardly seemed far-fetched.

The team’s motto is “Freedom to Dream” and its legion of pink-clad fans had visions of hoisting the CONCACAF Champions Cup in the Spring, Leagues Cup in the Summer and MLS Cup in December.

Who could blame them for thinking big?

Highly regarded coach Tata Martino was working with a lineup that included Argentine superstar Lionel Messi and his former FC Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez, along with a carefully curated collection of South American prospects, MLS veterans and youth academy graduates.

Inter Miami has managed to remain atop the MLS standings and score a league-best 56 goals through 25 games, despite Messi missing 17 games; but the team failed to make a deep run in its first two tournaments.

Miami lost in the quarterfinals of the Champions Cup to Mexican team Monterrey in April and last Tuesday was ousted from the Leagues Cup Round of 16 by the Columbus Crew after letting a two-goal second-half lead slip away.

Heading into the final stretch of the season, there is just one trophy left up for grabs, the MLS Cup, and Miami is under immense pressure to win it.

Martino was asked Tuesday night if the season would be considered a failure if Inter Miami doesn’t win MLS Cup. He said he doesn’t evaluate teams that way but understands “those are the rules of sport” and that his team will fight hard to win the one trophy left on the table.

Nine games remain in the MLS regular season, which resumes Aug. 24 after a month-long break for Leagues Cup. Miami plays at home against FC Cincinnati and will be extra hungry after being humiliated 6-1 on the road the last time they met in July.

The biggest question is whether Messi will be on the field, or in uniform at all. He has missed 11 Inter Miami games in a row since June 1 — five while with Argentina for Copa America and six with an ankle injury he suffered during the Copa America final.

Messi wore a protective boot for a few weeks after the injury, shed that last week, and has been working out in the gym with a trainer. But as of Monday, he had not done any work on the field. Typically, injured players on the mend require at least one week, often more, working on the field one-on-one with a trainer before joining group workouts. Then, it can be another week before they participate in contact drills.

Martino has said he is eager to have a full roster, including Messi, by the end of the month. On Monday he reported that Messi is improving every day but had no estimate for his return to training.

After the loss to Columbus, Busquets said: “We know the difference that Leo makes, I wish we could have had him with us. But football has injuries and setbacks. He is very important for us and I’m sure everything would have been different and we would have had a much better chance with him.”

It seems unlikely Messi would be ready by Aug. 24. A more realistic date would be Aug. 31, when Miami has a road game against the Chicago Fire.

After that, there is a two-week MLS break for the FIFA international window. Argentina has World Cup qualifying matches against Chile on Sept. 5 in Buenos Aires and against Colombia, a rematch of the Copa America final, on Sept. 10 in Barranquilla. Argentine media reports say Messi hopes to play in those.

Inter Miami then has four games in September: at home against Philadelphia, on the road at Atlanta, on the road at New York City FC, and home against Charlotte. The final three games of the season are Oct. 2 on the road at Columbus, Oct. 5 on the road at Toronto and Oct. 19 at home against New England.

Miami finished in 14th place in the Eastern Conference last year and failed to make the playoffs. This year, the team is virtually guaranteed a playoff spot. The top seven teams get in, and the eighth- and ninth-place teams enter a play-in. Miami is in first place with 53 points (16 wins, four losses, five ties), which would have been enough to make the playoffs the past three seasons.