Three months into the season, things are going pretty well for Inter Miami. After a disastrous pre-season tour the Herons came into the 2024 under significant pressure but they have battled their way to the top of the Supporters’ Shield rankings, albeit having played one game more than their rivals.
Superstar striking duo Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez have already reached double figures for MLS goals and recent arrivals like Julian Gressel, Marcelo Weigandt and Federico Redondo have strengthened key positions.
However with Copa América fast approaching Inter Miami are about to face their toughest test of the season to date as their star player will be away on international duty. Across June and July Lionel Messi will miss at least five MLS games, and possibly more if Argentina progress deep in the competition.
The Herons’ record without Lionel Messi is a stark contrast to their good form with him in the team. Inter Miami have won seven of the nine MLS games in which Messi has featured in 2024. They have won only one of the five games that he has missed.
Inter Miami call-ups for Copa América
The 2024 Copa América kicks off on 20 June, with Argentina taking on Canada at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta. All teams must have their final 26-man rosters confirmed by 12 June and there are a few other Inter Miami players in contention for call-ups.
Goalkeeper Drake Callender has received multiple call-ups for USMNT in the last 12 months and, although he is yet to make an appearance, could be included in the roster. Callender did not make it into the training squad for the upcoming friendly fixtures but he is likely to step in if anyone picks up an injury in the next few weeks.
Inter Miami midfielder Diego Gomez has starred this season and had forced his way into the starting XI until picking up an ankle injury in the win over Nashville last month. The club confirmed that the Paraguayan was expected to return in six weeks, taking him up to the start of June.
Gomez, still only 21, starred for Paraguay’s U-23 team earlier this year and has already made seven senior international appearances. If he returns to the training field in early June, he could well be called up by Paraguay for Copa América.
Luis Suarez has not retired from international competition but appears to be out of favour with Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa. He was omitted from the squad for recent March friendlies but is reportedly set to be named in the provisional list for Copa América.
Why doesn’t MLS stop for FIFA windows?
The Copa América and UEFA’s European Championships will be played during one of the scheduled FIFA international breaks, when much of the world’s domestic competitions halt.
However MLS, one of the few leagues that plays an ‘annual’ schedule, will keep on running through the summer. It means that some of the league’s best players, Lionel Messi chief among them, will be unavailable for their teams during a key stretch of the season. Inter Miami boss Tata Martino is not too happy with this state of affairs.
Martino said: “Fundamentally, regarding the FIFA window, the competition should stop like it does in the rest of the world. If not, what will happen is that teams will tend to sign lower quality players – ones that won’t be taken when the international break comes around.”
MLS has always ran a spring-winter calendar to reduce clashing with the United States’ other major sports leagues. Initially, when the league began in 1996, international commitments were less of an issue because MLS had fewer top-level players. As the quality of MLS grows the number of players forced to miss games due to international call-ups will grow, as will calls for a rethink of the league schedule.
