Lionel Messi could potentially return to action on Thursday night as Inter Miami faces Cavalier FC in the second leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup round-of-16 showdown.
Messi and Inter Miami arrived in Jamaica on Wednesday night to a hero’s welcome, where he was greeted off the plane by Olivia Grange, Jamaica’s Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport.
Messi was also featured on the front and back covers of the Jamaica Observer newspaper on Thursday, with a photo of Grange presenting Messi with a t-shirt of Bob Marley playing soccer.
Messi’s game status is up in the air before the match: It’s unclear whether he will start or come off the bench for Inter Miami, or even play at all despite traveling with the team.
Messi has missed Inter Miami’s last three games due to fatigue, but could be needed against the eager Jamaican Premier League champions at National Stadium in Kingston.
Inter Miami leads the Champions Cup series against Cavalier with a 2-0 aggregate score.
How to watch Cavalier FC vs. Inter Miami match on Thursday?
The Cavalier FC vs. Inter Miami match will be available to watch on FS2 in English, and on TUDN and ViX in Spanish.
What time does Cavalier FC vs. Inter Miami match begin?
The match begins at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. in Jamaica, 9 p.m. in Argentina).
Is Messi playing tonight in Jamaica?
It’s possible Messi could play, but a formal decision will be known when Inter Miami announces its starting lineup about an hour before the match begins.
Messi arrives in Jamaica with Inter Miami
How many games has Messi missed?
Messi has not played in the last three Inter Miami matches, but was anticipated to return off the bench last Sunday at home against Charlotte FC.
However, Inter Miami was forced to play with 10 players after goalie Oscar Ustari was given a red card and ejected in the first half of the match. Instead of playing without a goalie, Mascherano substituted midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi out of the match for backup goalie Rocco Ríos Novo. Mascherano said he didn’t want to risk playing Messi in the match while down a player.
Messi did not travel to Inter Miami’s 4-1 win against the Houston Dynamo on March 2, and did not play in Inter Miami’s first leg against Cavalier FC last Thursday.
Messi predominately played in three matches during a six-day stretch from Feb. 19-25, and eight matches in a 40-day span from Jan. 18 to Feb. 14, including five preseason matches played in Las Vegas, Peru, Panama, Honduras and Tampa, Florida.
Messi’s upcoming schedule with Inter Miami, Argentina
After Inter Miami returns from Jamaica, they will have a rematch Sunday against Atlanta United — the club that eliminated them in upset fashion from the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs last season. It will be Inter Miami’s last match before the FIFA international window opens for World Cup qualifiers.
Messi is expected to join the Argentine national team for two matches: Argentina visits Uruguay on March 21, then Argentina hosts Brazil on March 25.
Inter Miami’s last match of the month will be on March 29 at home against the Philadelphia Union.
Who will Inter Miami or Cavalier FC face in next round of Champions Cup?
The winner of the Inter Miami-Cavalier FC matchup will meet LAFC in the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup. The quarterfinal series will begin in early April.