Before the U.S. Open Cup final, Lionel Messi’s health is in question.

Few names in football have the same impact as Lionel Messi. The Argentine forward, who is renowned for his unmatched skills and ability to change the course of games, is currently in the news, but not for the typical reasons. The big issue on everyone’s mind as Inter Miami gets ready for the U.S. Open Cup final is: Will Messi play?

The leader of Inter Miami, Martino, is faced with a difficult decision. Messi has missed recent matches for both his club and the Argentine national team due to a muscular issue. Inter Miami is on the verge of winning their second trophy, thus the stakes are quite high. It is not easy to decide whether to play Messi, though.

It’s challenging to give him a percentage because we must take each day as it comes. We’ll keep assessing him, and as I usually say, I’ll start by listening to him to gauge his emotions. Next, we’ll also need to consider potential hazards. In a recent interview, Martino said, “It’s not an easy decision, but we’re going to take the correct amount of time to try to not make a mistake.

ear-old soccer prodigy was conspicuously absent from Sunday’s Major League Soccer (MLS) match between Inter Miami and Orlando City, which ended in a 1-1 draw. His absence was felt even more keenly when the squad suffered a humiliating 5-2 loss to Atlanta. Messi played for Argentina in their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign during the international break, which is when his injury problems began. Messi was only on the pitch for 37 minutes in an MLS encounter against Toronto FC after that injury before being taken off.For Inter Miami, the coming weeks are important. They play New York City FC in a crucial matchup after the U.S. Open Cup final. New York City FC currently occupies the final playoff slot in the MLS Eastern Conference. Martino and his group are committed to closing the five-point difference in order to qualify for the postseason.

Houston Dynamo will play Inter Miami in the Open Cup final on Wednesday at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Messi will unquestionably be the cornerstone for Inter Miami if he is healthy. Messi has been in outstanding form since joining the American league, tallying 11 goals and five assists in just 12 games.

Dynamo, however, is unconcerned. Ben Olsen, the head coach of Dynamo, played his cards close to his chest when questioned about ways to stop Messi, responding, “If I had the correct method to stop him [Messi], I wouldn’t give it to you. I don’t want to get too far into that.