Javier Mascherano explained why Lionel Messi was able to play on Saturday

Before their game against Atlanta United, Inter Miami did something no one could have imagined. Something that no club or person has done before, or at least not that I could recall. The Argentine national squad was on tour around the US for their two friendly matches against Venezuela and Puerto Rico.

The interesting thing appeared when Lionel Messi was called up for these games, indicating he would miss the Atlanta United game with the Herons. However, that was not the case, and the former FC Barcelona footballer played the entire match, scoring two goals in Inter Miami’s 4-0 win against the Five Stripes.

But, how could Lionel Messi play for Las Garzas on Friday, and now be a starter for Argentina’s encounter against Puerto Rico? According to Bolavip, Javier Mascherano talked about this in the post-match press conference.

Javier Mascherano: “It’s pretty simple”

This situation has received little attention, yet Javier Mascherano and Lionel Scaloni made an unprecedented decision during the international break.

After Lionel Messi scored two goals to give the Herons a boost in the final 4-0 against Atlanta United, Mascherano explained the reason why their captain was eligible for this encounter:

“It’s quite simple. Yesterday, before the match, I spoke with Scaloni, and he told me he wasn’t going to use him, that he was going to release him. I spoke with Leo so he could play today, and that’s pretty much it.”

From a rules perspective, there is not a single page or item in FIFA’s rules book that says this is not allowed. In the entire“manual,” there is nothing about an athlete playing with his club while being with his national squad.

Javier Mascherano and Lionel Scaloni’s decision proved both innovative and advantageous for Inter Miami. Their strategic move helped the Herons secure a crucial victory to maintain a strong position in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Adding to his statement, the Jefecito said: “The coach said he had no intention of using him yesterday (Friday), that he wanted to try other things. It was his decision, and we clearly saw the opportunity to use him.”

Also, we need to highlight the attitude of Lionel Messi, the team’s captain, as Javier Mascherano did in the conference:

“Leo was willing to play with us despite having trained all week with the national team. We know he’s a truly special player, unique, and even though he didn’t train with us, we already saw what he did today. He helped us win and managed to score, which was also important for him. And the victory was clearly important because it secured third place for us.”