L. Messi

Noah Allen has turned into the player with most appearances in Inter Miami's short history, prompting questions on how far is star Lionel Messi from the defender. Noah Allen has etched his name into the Inter Miami history books, officially becoming the franchise’s all-time leader in appearances. While the 21-year-old defender has reached this milestone at a remarkably young age, many fans are wondering where global superstar Lionel Messi sits on that same list. Inter Miami traveled to Utah to face Real Salt Lake on Wednesday, securing a 2-0 victory behind goals from Rodrigo De Paul and Luis Suarez. Beyond the three points, the match was a historic one for Noah Allen, who started at left wing-back in manager Guillermo Hoyos’ 5-3-2 system. With the start, Allen reached 119 appearances in an Inter Miami jersey, moving into sole possession of the club’s all-time games played record. The Greece international surpassed the previous mark of 118 held by goalkeeper Drake Callender, who set the standard before his departure from the club in 2025. A product of the Inter Miami academy since 2019, Allen featured in 53 matches for the second team before making his first-team debut on February 26, 2022, against the Chicago Fire. Since then, he has avoided major injury and established himself as a fixture in the squad, contributing two goals and four assists over his record-breaking tenure. History in the making 💫 Most appearances in club history! pic.twitter.com/O3E50vlx1N — Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) April 23, 2026 Where does Lionel Messi stand? Lionel Messi has already shattered a litany of records in South Florida, leading the franchise to its first trophies and serving as the all-time leader in goals (85) and assists (44). However, the all-time appearance list is one of the few leaderboards where the Argentine legend is still climbing his way toward the top. Messi currently sits in eighth place on the club’s all-time appearances list with 98 games played. He is now just two matches away from the 100-game milestone, which would move him into a tie for seventh with Leonardo Campana. Jordi Alba holds sixth place with 103 appearances, followed by Benjamin Cremaschi in fifth at 107, while the top four is rounded out by Robert Taylor and Sergio Busquets, both locked at 116, and Drake Callender sitting in second. Lionel Messi and Noah Allen are the only players in the top eight currently in a position to add to their totals, leaving the door open for Messi to continue his climb while Allen looks to pull even further away from the pack. With roughly 30 matches remaining in the 2026 MLS regular season and the Leagues Cup, there is plenty of room for Messi’s tally to grow. Having featured in 49 games last season, Messi could realistically surpass Callender’s mark of 118 by the end of the year, though catching Allen will depend on the young defender’s continued role in the rotation.

Argentina and perhaps Lionel Messi in SEC country. The Three Lions in Florida in the middle of the afternoon. The post Datebook: World Cup 2026 tune-ups appeared first on Soccer America.

Former Manchester City and Argentina striker Sergio Aguero has provided an insight into when Lionel Messi will decide on his future at Inter Miami.

All signs point to Lionel Messi being included in Argentina’s preliminary squad, a key step ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to kick off on June 11, meaning all 48 participating teams are entering the final stretch of their preparations for the tournament. Argentina are closely monitoring Lionel Messi’s situation, as he has yet to publicly confirm whether he will play in the competition. However, time is running short, and that decision cannot be delayed much longer. By May 11, all participating federations must submit a preliminary list to FIFA with the players under consideration for the tournament. That means Lionel Scaloni will have to make a decision soon. “The coach will include Messi in the list of 55 players that will serve as the starting point for the final 26-man squad, which must be submitted to FIFA before May 30,” journalist Leandro Contento of La Nacion, one of Argentina’s most prestigious outlets, reported on Thursday. So far, the Inter Miami forward has remained cautious about his chances of playing in what would be his sixth World Cup. The reason lies in doubts about whether he can meet the physical demands of the tournament, as he will be turning 39 by then. Lionel Scaloni, Head Coach of Argentina. While his inclusion in Argentina’s preliminary squad would not necessarily confirm his presence at North America 2026, it would represent another step toward that outcome. It would mark the first official decision linking Messi to the national team in relation to the upcoming World Cup. What is the purpose of the World Cup preliminary squad? In recent years, FIFA has established two key deadlines for national teams participating in the World Cup. The first requires teams to submit a preliminary list of players under consideration for the tournament, while a later deadline is used to finalize the official roster. In principle, once the final 26-man squad is set, any changes due to injuries or exceptional circumstances can be made with FIFA’s approval. In those cases, replacements must come from the players included in the preliminary list. That initial list, however, is less restrictive than the final roster. In fact, coaches are not required to name the maximum of 55 players—they can submit a smaller group, as long as it includes at least 35. That is exactly what Lionel Scaloni did ahead of Qatar 2022. He put together a 48-player list that included injured players—such as Giovani Lo Celso—as well as young prospects with little chance of making the final squad, like Nicolas Paz and Alejandro Garnacho. When Nicolas Gonzalez and Joaquin Correa had to be replaced due to injury at the last minute, their replacements—Angel Correa and Thiago Almada—were already part of the preliminary list.

Lionel Messi has a chance to go out in a blaze of glory if he can help Argentina to back-to-back World Cups

The 2026 World Cup will bring together the best strikers on the planet in a tournament that promises goals, established stars, and rising talents ready to shine at soccer's biggest event. Leer

Barcelona are a little over two months away from the return of Joan Laporta to the presidency this summer, as he begins a fourth mandate. In March, Laporta ran out victorious in the club elections, winning nearly 70% of the vote and beating out rival candidate Victor Font for a second election in a row. […] The post Xavi Hernandez called Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi about getting involved in Barcelona elections appeared first on Football España.

Inter Miami show a new side without relying on their superstar Leer

Luis Suarez scored his first goal of the Major League Soccer season but Lionel Messi failed to get on the scoresheet as champions Inter Miami struck late to beat Real Salt Lake 2-0 on Wednesday. Fans who had paid eye-watering ticket prices averaging more than $450 to see Messi play his first match in Salt […] The post Suarez off mark but Messi fires blanks as Miami beat Salt Lake appeared first on Soccer America.

Real Salt Lake host Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, with Lionel Messi as the main attraction. Lionel Messi is, as usual, the center of attention heading into every Inter Miami match. The Argentine forward will start this Wednesday night at America First Field in Sandy, Utah, on Matchday 9 of Major League Soccer. There, the Herons will visit Real Salt Lake looking for their second consecutive victory. Inter Miami are coming off a valuable win over Colorado Rapids last Saturday, thanks to a Messi brace, which helped them bounce back following the abrupt resignation of coach Javier Mascherano and the appointment of his — at least for now — interim replacement, Guillermo Hoyos. With that result, the Herons now sit second in the Eastern Conference standings with 15 points, four behind leaders Nashville SC. Their opponents on Wednesday have performed even better so far, collecting 16 points despite having played one fewer match. However, the stronger competitiveness of Western Conference teams at the start of the 2026 MLS season means Real Salt Lake are not yet among the top spots in the standings. They currently sit fifth, five points behind leaders Vancouver Whitecaps and San Jose Earthquakes. Head Coach Guillermo Hoyos of Inter Miami CF talks to his players during a training session. Confirmed lineup for Real Salt Lake The Claret and Cobalt have lost just once this season — a 1-0 defeat to Vancouver in the opener — and have since put together a six-match unbeaten run, with five wins and one draw. That form leads coach Pablo Mastroeni to stick with most of his lineup. Real Salt Lake’s confirmed XI: Rafael Cabral; Zavler Gozo, DeAndre Yedlin, Justen Glad, Lukas Engel, Alexandros Katranis; Noel Caliskan, Stijn Spierings; Diego Luna, Sergi Solans, Morgan Guilavogui. Confirmed lineup for Inter Miami While the Herons are coming off a win over Colorado Rapids, their recent performances have not been entirely convincing. That, combined with several absences due to injuries and suspensions, forced Guillermo Hoyos to field a significantly different lineup. Inter Miami’s confirmed XI: Dayne St. Clair; Facundo Mura, Gonzalo Lujan, Maximiliano Falcon, Micael, Noah Allen; Rodrigo De Paul; Tadeo Allende, Lionel Messi, Telasco Segovia; German Berterame.