Inter Miami is experiencing concern over the physical condition of Argentine star Lionel Messi during the preparation period for the new season and before the start of the campaign to defend the Major League Soccer title. Despite scoring a goal in the friendly match against Barcelona Guayaquil, Messi has not been training normally with the rest of his teammates, raising doubts about his participation in the upcoming match against Independiente del Valle on Friday.

Inter Miami has not released any official details regarding the player's physical condition or the reasons for his absence from group training under coach Javier Mascherano, which has increased speculation about his health status before the start of the season.

Messi, who is 38 years old, continues to gradually prepare for the new season by increasing the intensity of his physical effort and the number of minutes he plays in friendly matches, especially with the approach of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

The captain of the Argentine national team participated in friendly matches against Alianza Lima from Peru and Atlético Nacional from Colombia, before concluding his participation with a match against Barcelona Guayaquil from Ecuador, where he scored a goal and provided an assist, indicating an improvement in his readiness despite current reservations about his physical condition.