In the 2024 Major League Soccer (MLS) season, Lionel Messi, the captain of Inter Miami, participated in only 55% of the available games. Yet, despite his limited appearances in the iconic pink jersey, the 37-year-old Argentine maestro guided Inter Miami to the Supporters’ Shield, an MLS points record, and earned the league MVP award. With just 19 games (1,485 minutes), Messi delivered an astounding 20 goals and 16 assists, proving that quality trumps quantity. As Inter Miami navigates the 2025 season and prepares for high-stakes competitions like the Club World Cup, questions arise: Is Messi’s sporadic participation a sign of a strained relationship with the club, or is it a calculated strategy to maximize his impact when it matters most?
A Strategic Approach to Rest
Former Inter Miami manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino recognized early on that the team could afford to rest Messi during less critical MLS regular-season games while still securing a playoff spot. ESPN Research indicates that MLS teams historically need to win only about a third of their regular-season matches to qualify for the postseason. This forgiving format allowed Martino to prioritize Messi’s health and energy for crucial knockout competitions, a strategy that new head coach Javier Mascherano has continued.
Mascherano emphasized the difference between the MLS regular season and knockout tournaments like the Concacaf Champions Cup (CCC) and the Club World Cup. “The MLS season allows you to fail in certain games—the knockout phase of a continental league doesn’t; it means you’re out,” he said earlier this season. “But the CCC playoffs prepare you for what’s coming in October with the playoffs.” Unlike European leagues like LaLiga or Ligue 1, where consistent regular-season performance is paramount, MLS crowns its champion through a playoff system. The top seven teams from each conference qualify directly, while the eighth and ninth seeds compete in a one-game play-in series. With 15 teams per conference, more than half of MLS clubs reach the postseason, making qualification relatively achievable.
In 2024, teams like CF Montreal (43 points) and Atlanta United (40 points) secured playoff spots with modest records. Atlanta, with a 10-10-14 (W-D-L) record, even upset Inter Miami, the Eastern Conference leaders, in the first round of the playoffs. This unpredictability underscores that MLS success hinges not on dominating the regular season but on peaking at the right time.
Resting the GOAT: A Proven Tactic
Martino’s approach in 2023 and 2024 was to rest Messi strategically. In 2023, Messi missed 25% of late-season MLS matches, not due to injury but to preserve his energy for the playoffs. In 2024, Martino rested Messi for the starting lineup in the two games before the playoffs, where he played just 65 minutes combined. Despite this, Messi played the full 270 minutes in the playoff series against Atlanta United, though Miami suffered an unexpected defeat.
In 2025, the pattern persists. Messi has played 73% of available MLS minutes this season, compared to 86% in the CCC, including added time. His increased involvement since mid-May was designed to regain match fitness after Miami’s CCC elimination. The team’s demanding schedule, balancing MLS and CCC with games every three days, forced Mascherano to adjust training and prioritize rest for key players. For instance, after a grueling CCC first-leg match against Vancouver on April 24, 2025, on synthetic grass, Messi was rested for the MLS game against FC Dallas on April 26. Mascherano cited fatigue and the physical toll of synthetic surfaces, noting that Messi trained the next day and was ready for the CCC second leg against Vancouver.
Earlier in March 2025, Messi sat out three matches, including two MLS games and a CCC round-of-16 first-leg match, as a precaution against fatigue ahead of the tournament’s later stages. “Since we want to take care of him and we don’t want to make him feel fatigued, we decided to give him rest, knowing the risks we’re facing,” Mascherano explained on March 6. These decisions paid off, as Inter Miami reached the CCC semifinals for the first time in club history.
The Bigger Picture: Knockout Competitions
Inter Miami’s strategy is tailored to excel in knockout tournaments like the CCC, Leagues Cup, Club World Cup, and MLS playoffs, where Messi’s presence is non-negotiable. The MLS regular season, however, serves as a testing ground where the team can afford losses without derailing their ultimate goals. The league incentivizes top regular-season finishes with home-field playoff advantage and the Supporters’ Shield, but once in the playoffs, anything is possible.
As Inter Miami prepares for a Club World Cup match against FC Porto on Thursday, June 19, 2025, the club continues to save Messi for critical moments. His limited MLS minutes reflect a deliberate plan to manage his workload, especially given the intense travel and physical demands of international competitions. Messi’s ability to adapt his playing style and training regimen at 37 keeps him performing at an elite level, but as he noted last year, “Rest is very important nowadays. As we get older, everything is more difficult.”
A Master Plan, Not a Rift
Messi’s selective participation is not a sign of discord with Inter Miami but a testament to a well-executed strategy. By prioritizing knockout competitions and carefully managing his minutes, the club maximizes the impact of the greatest player in the world. Messi’s own words reflect his commitment: “I know that as soon as I believe that I can no longer perform, or no longer enjoy the game, or am not able to help my teammates, then I will stop.” For now, his rest is a calculated move to ensure he can continue leading Inter Miami to glory when it counts most.
As the 2025 season unfolds, expect Messi to shine in the Club World Cup and MLS playoffs, where his presence could make the difference between triumph and defeat. Inter Miami’s approach may seem unconventional, but it’s a master plan designed to leverage Messi’s unparalleled talent for the moments that define a season.