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Lionel Messi is expected to start when Inter Miami takes on FC Cincinnati in the semifinals of the US Open Cup on Wednesday (August 23). The Argentina superstar will come into the game after guiding his new side to the Leagues Cup title on the weekend.
Messi only joined Inter Miami a couple of months back but featured in every game during the 2023 Leagues Cup. The seven-time Ballon d'Or scored in every match of the tournament, including in the final against Nashville to win his first major honor with the Herons.
The forward has been playing nonstop for Inter Miami since he joined them. Manager Tata Martino, however, stated that the former Barcelona superstar will not be rested for their game against FC Cincinnati. The Argentine tactician was quoted as saying the following (via GOAL):
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"That is a conversation we had a few days ago, that he should rest, and recover every 3-4 days, clearly Wednesday will not be that day, but you all know how he is, he likes to play. So, as long as he doesn’t mention anything, he will keep on playing."
Based on Martino's comments, Lionel Messi will definitely keep his place in the starting XI on Wednesday night. The club captain could be partnered alongside Josef Martinez and Robert Taylor in attack if both of the attackers are fit to feature against FC Cincinnati.
Messi has a chance to guide Inter Miami to yet another final following his Leagues Cup heroics. The winner of this tie will either face Houston Dynamo or Real Salt Lake in the final which is scheduled to take place on September 27.
Lionel Messi has already Inter Miami's third-highest goalscorer of all time
Inter Miami is a relatively young side in Major League Soccer (MLS). However, Lionel Messi already finds himself third in the all-time goalscorers chart despite only signing for them last month.
At the time of writing, Messi has scored 10 goals from seven appearances for the David Beckham-owned side. This includes the three consecutive braces he scored in the recently concluded Leagues Cup, against Atlanta United, Orlando City and FC Dallas.
Lionel Messi's former Argentina teammate Gonzalo Higuain is currently the club's record goalscorer. The forward netted 29 goals from 70 appearances. Leonardo Campana is second on the list, having scored 16 times from 53 games. He is still an active player at the club.
Based on Messi's current form, it is only a matter of time before he eclipses both of the aforementioned players.
