Inter Miami will play in the quarterfinals of the Leagues Cup against Tigres UANL at Chase Stadium. Ahead of the match against the Mexican team, there has been concern about Lionel Messi's participation in the match.
Messi returned to action over the weekend as he scored and assisted in Inter Miami's 3-1 win over LA Galaxy . After the game, Messi appeared hurt, and many believe he played too soon after his injury on August 2 against Necaxa.
Messi did not appear in the team training session ahead of the game against Tigres, but Javier Mascherano confirmed that the star will not be ruled out.
A player who is certain to start is Luis Suarez , who has been pivotal for Inter Miami during Messi's absence. The Uruguayan striker provided two assists and scored a goal against Pumas, the first game without Messi.
Suarez scored against the LA Galaxy and has improved his form. In a press conference ahead of the match against Tigres, Suarez was asked about the game, but also about the future involving him and Messi.
WOW
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 17, 2025
Filthy Messi dime to set up Luis Suarez for the @InterMiamiCF goal. pic.twitter.com/Caf0XlsBOo
Both Suarez and Messi are 38 years old, and while they are stars at Inter Miami, their time in football is getting closer to an end. When asked if his future depends on Messi's future, Suarez responded with hope.
A real possibility involving Suarez and Messi is retirement talks soon, and many believe that Inter Miami could be the last club for both players. Messi is rumored to play at Inter Miami for another year at least.
Suarez gave a clue as to when he plans to retire, and his wish is to retire with Messi, with whom he shared great memories at FC Barcelona .
Luis Suarez: "I think we’ve grown older, and each of us will make our own decision while considering our personal interests, but I haven’t made a decision yet. I can tell you that I would love to retire with him [Messi] because we have been talking about retiring together for years, and we might get the chance. It depends on my contract renovation, his contract renovation. Each of us will make suitable decisions for ourselves."
Inter Miami v Tigres MD-1 | Press Conference https://t.co/h7ZTDapJDs
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) August 19, 2025
Both Messi and Suarez are under contract with Inter Miami until the end of the 2025 MLS season. The contract expires on December 31, 2025. The club has been vocal on wanting to extend Messi's contract for an extra year at least.
On the other hand, there have been no reports suggesting the club is actively looking to extend Suarez's contract. With this new statement, Suarez is pushing to be open to a new contract.
Suarez's dream to retire with Messi can come true if the club manages to offer similar contracts for both players. News for contract extensions for both players is expected soon, especially if Inter Miami does well in the Leagues Cup and in the MLS.
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