Lionel Messi will miss one Inter Miami game in September for 2026 World Cup qualifying

Lionel Messi will miss at least one Inter Miami match in September because he’ll be representing the Argentina national team in two qualifying matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Messi, the 2022 World Cup champion and seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, will join Argentina after Inter Miami’s match against LAFC at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on Sept. 3 at 10 p.m. ET.

Messi will be with the Argentine team for a home match on Sept. 7 against Ecuador at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Messi will also be with the team for its second qualifying match against Bolivia on Sept. 12 at the Estadio Hernando Siles in La Paz, Bolivia.

As a result, Messi is expected to miss Inter Miami’s home game against Sporting Kansas City on Sept. 9 at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Inter Miami vice president of communications Rafa Cabrera told USA TODAY Sports.

Could Messi miss any more Inter Miami games?

Messi likely will miss at least two more matches this season due to international duty as Inter Miami coach Tata Martino alluded to last week.

Argentina will also have World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay on Oct. 12 and Peru on October 17.

Inter Miami plays on Oct. 7 against FC Cincinnati at DRV PNK Stadium.

Inter Miami hosts Charlotte FC on Oct. 18, visits Charlotte FC on Oct. 21 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

How has Messi fared with Inter Miami?

Messi’s magic run with Inter Miami hit its first roadblock with a 0-0 draw against Nashville SC on Wednesday night.

Messi was held scoreless and without an assist for the first time in his Inter Miami career.

His previous 10 games with Inter Miami lived up to the Messi mania hype and more.

Messi scored 11 goals in nine games and led Inter Miami to a Leagues Cup championship on Aug. 19 – Inter Miami’s first title as a franchise.

Messi and Inter Miami will also play in another title match during the U.S. Open Cup final against Houston Dynamo FC on Sept. 27.

Despite the draw, Inter Miami has yet to lose a game in the Messi era. They are 9-1-0 (win-draw-lose) since his arrival.

How does Inter Miami fare in MLS playoff race?

Inter Miami likely will have to average more than two points per game to make the MLS playoffs.

Miami (22 points) sits 10 points behind ninth-place Chicago Fire FC (32) after Chicago’s 1-0 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday night.

The top nine finishers in each conference qualify for the MLS playoffs. Miami is 14^th out of 15 teams in the Eastern Conference.

Miami is in a frantic fight to the finish to make the postseason field after digging itself into a massive hole before Messi's arrival.

What is Inter Miami's remaining 2023 schedule?

• Aug. 30: vs. Nashville SC, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Sept. 3: at Los Angeles FC, 10:30 p.m. ET
• Sept. 9: vs. Sporting Kansas City, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Sept. 16: at Atlanta United, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Sept. 20: vs. Toronto FC, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Sept. 24: at Orlando City SC, 7:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
• Sept. 27: vs. Houston Dynamo FC (U.S. Open Cup final), time TBD
• Sept. 30: vs. New York City FC, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Oct. 4: at Chicago Fire FC, 8:30 p.m. ET
• Oct. 7: vs. FC Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Oct. 18: vs. Charlotte FC, 8 p.m. ET
• Oct. 21: at Charlotte FC, 6 p.m. ET

With the exception of the U.S. Open Cup final on Sept. 26 (which will be available to stream on the CBS Sports Golazo Network), all other Inter Miami games are available to watch via the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.