Mascherano on why Messi skipped Argentina but played for Inter Miami | OneFootball

It was surprising last Friday to see Lionel Messi drinking mate in the box at Hard Rock Stadium instead of outmaneuvering opponents on the field wearing the Argentina national team's No. 10 jersey in the friendly match against Venezuela. His absence was not due to an injury, as he was a starter for Inter Miami on Saturday and shone with two goals and an assist in the 4-0 thrashing of Atlanta United.

The decision for him not to play in the first preparatory match of the FIFA date (1-0, goal by Giovani Lo Celso) but to play with the Herons was made after a conversation between Lionel Scaloni and Javier Mascherano, who provided details: "It's quite simple: yesterday before Argentina's match, I spoke with him, and he told me he wasn't going to use him, he was going to release him."

With the approval of the albiceleste coach, the Jefecito then consulted the Rosario star, and there was also a thumbs up: "I spoke with Leo so he could play today (yesterday) and there's not much more to it. Yesterday the coach didn't intend to play him because he wanted to see other things, as he said."

And he continued: "It was his decision, and clearly we saw the opportunity that by not playing yesterday against Venezuela, we could use him. Leo was also willing to do it beyond training all week with the national team. He is a completely special player, he is unique, and even though he hadn't trained with us, we already saw what he did today. He helped us win, he managed to score, which was important for him. With Leo, everything is easier."

After "thanking all parties" for being able to count on him, Mascherano was asked whether he will rejoin the national team or stay in Fort Lauderdale: "I have no idea because the match just ended, we have Sunday and Monday off, so I haven't spoken with the national team's coach or anyone else yet. If he contacts us or the Federation, we'll see."

Regarding whether there will be special preparation to reach optimal conditions for the 2026 World Cup, the coach indicated: "Next year feels very far away. Taking care of Leo means letting him play; he is happy on the field. We try to talk with him all the time. During the season, when he had situations where he didn't feel well, we tried to preserve him. It's no use having the best player in the history of this sport out due to an injury."

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.