Is Lionel Messi playing today? Projected lineups for Inter Miami vs Montreal in Matchday 22 of 2026 MLS season
Lionel Messi is set to start for Inter Miami against CF Montreal, as the Herons look to snap a five-match winless streak without suspended head coach Guillermo Hoyos. Lionel Messi is set to start for Inter Miami on Saturday when the Herons host CF Montreal at Nu Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. The Argentine captain will be looking to help snap Miami’s rough patch, having gone five matches without a win. The club also deals with the absence of head coach Guillermo Hoyos, who is serving a one-match suspension issued by MLS over repeated violations of the league’s late kickoff policy. Assistants Rafael Perez and Rodrigo Vargas will take charge from the sideline in his place. Miami sit second in the Eastern Conference with 39 points from 21 games (11-6-4), boasting a +9 goal difference, while Montreal sit well down the table in 14th with 21 points and a -10 goal difference across the same number of matches. Messi enters the match with 14 goals this season, and he’ll once again be flanked by Luis Suarez, who has 10 goals of his own, and German Berterame up top, with Rodrigo De Paul pulling the strings from midfield. Tonight at Nu Stadium 🏠⚽️#MIAvMTL pic.twitter.com/JFzRUwFlFs— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) August 29, 2026 Inter Miami’s projected lineup Miami will be without Sergio Reguilon and Gonzalo Lujan due to muscle injuries, on top of the continued absences of Mateo Silvetti, Tadeo Allende, Santi Morales and Micael. With Hoyos unavailable, Miami’s interim staff are expected to reshuffle the backline while keeping Messi, Suarez and Berterame together up front. Inter Miami’s projected starting XI: St. Clair; Allen, Falcon, Fray, Caicedo; Segovia, Casemiro, De Paul; Suarez, Messi, Berterame. CF Montreal’s projected lineup Montreal will lean heavily on Prince Owusu, who has been the club’s standout attacking threat with 13 goals this season, alongside Matthew Longstaff and Nathan Streit in support. CF Montreal’s projected starting XI: Gillier; Petrasso, Vera, Neal, Bugaj; Loturi, Pereira, Longstaff; Rios, Owusu, Streit.
