Inter Miami vs Toronto FC: Will Lionel Messi Play Today in the MLS 2025 Match?

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As Inter Miami gets set to welcome Toronto FC on Sunday (April 6) at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, there's growing speculation about Lionel Messi’s involvement in the match.

The Herons currently sit second in the MLS Eastern Conference standings after five games. However, the squad’s focus has shifted toward the Concacaf Champions Cup, where they must face Los Angeles FC in a crucial quarter-final second leg on April 9, aiming to overturn a 1–0 first-leg loss.

Inter Miami vs Toronto FC: Will Lionel Messi Feature Today Against Toronto?

Miami suffered a 1-0 defeat to LAFC on Wednesday night in the opening leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup quarter-final and now risks a second consecutive exit at this stage. With Sunday’s early-season league fixture against 14th-placed Toronto positioned between the two legs, head coach Javier Mascherano is likely to rotate several players in the lineup.

Considering the significance of the upcoming Champions Cup clash, Mascherano is weighing the option of resting key players, including Lionel Messi, to keep them fresh for the decisive LAFC match. Mascherano has hinted at possible rotations, which may result in Messi playing limited minutes or being rested entirely during the Toronto FC fixture.

“We already have an idea of what we’re going to do, but it hasn’t even been 48 hours since the match against Los Angeles, so we must assess, as always, how each player recovers,” Mascherano stated on Friday morning.

“We have two matches very close together, favour need to figure out how to field two competitive teams on Sunday and Wednesday," he added.

Messi’s minutes have been monitored lately due to an adductor issue. He completed the full 90 minutes in the first leg against LAFC, only his fourth full match of 2025. This careful management implies that the coaching staff may favor his recovery for the vital midweek game over the regular-season contest versus Toronto FC.

Although no official word has yet been issued about Messi’s availability for the Toronto FC clash, fans should be ready for the chance that he might only play briefly or be excluded entirely from the squad.