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 will 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 confirmed 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 confirmed starting XI: St. Clair; Fray, Casemiro, Falcon, Allen; Segovia, Bright, De Paul; Suarez, Messi, Berterame. CF Montreal’s confirmed 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 confirmed starting XI: Gillier; Petrasso, Vera, Neal, Bugaj; Piette, Synchuk, Longstaff; Herbers, Owusu, Streit.
Leandro Paredes questioned FIFA's 10-match ban following the World Cup final incident, pointing out that Gavi received a far lighter punishment for the same clash. Leandro Paredes broke his silence on the 10-match ban handed down by FIFA following the incidents in Argentina’s World Cup final win over Spain, calling the sanction excessive during his first public comments on the matter. “For me the sanction is excessive, and I hope it can be reduced,” Paredes said. The Boca Juniors midfielder didn’t shy away from comparing his punishment to that of Gavi, who was involved in the same clash but received just a single-match suspension and a $30,000 fine from FIFA. Speaking to reporters at La Bombonera following Boca’s 1-0 win over Lanús, Paredes addressed the topic directly. “It seems exaggerated,” Paredes said of his own sanction, adding: “The strange thing is that Gavi got one match, and he’s the one who hit me in the chest”. Paredes stopped short of elaborating further on the incident itself, instead pointing to the ongoing appeals process as his best hope for relief. “There’s still the appeal, and we’ll see if the sanction can be reduced,” he said, expressing confidence that a resolution could still come his way. LEANDRO PAREDES VS ERIC Y GAVI. 🤬🇦🇷🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/N9beL52Ec2 https://t.co/wyWxa1LmoA— Sudanalytics (@sudanalytics_) July 19, 2026 Argentina could use next friendlies to serve suspensions The comments come after FIFA confirmed that Paredes, along with teammates Nahuel Molina and Thiago Almada, would be permitted to serve their World Cup-related suspensions during international friendlies rather than competitive fixtures, easing the impact on Argentina’s schedule. Argentina can schedule up to four friendlies during the extended September-October window, plus two more in November, giving Almada and Molina more than enough matches to clear their suspensions in the short term. Paredes, given his longer 10-match ban, is the one most likely to still be serving time once competitive qualifiers roll around, though the exact timeline depends on how many friendlies the AFA lines up in the coming international windows. The federation has said it will continue pushing to reduce the bans on appeal once FIFA releases the full grounds for its rulings, with the case ultimately eligible to reach the Court of Arbitration for Sport if needed.
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