Lionel Messi could regain the presence of a key player for Inter Miami’s final preseason friendlies

Inter Miami remains in South America during their preseason tour, where they faced Alianza Lima in a loss and Atlético Nacional in a victory. Lionel Messi and the Herons had two friendlies left to play and received encouraging news ahead of those matches. The club continued evaluating its roster while preparing for the final stretch of the tour.

“We’ve been told that Tadeo has received his visa, and I believe he’s getting his passport today. So he should be traveling in the next few hours,” Javier Mascherano said Friday during a press conference ahead of the trip to Ecuador for a friendly against Barcelona of Guayaquil, as shared by journalist Jose Armando on X. The update provided optimism within the squad as they prepared for the upcoming fixture.

The Inter Miami coach was referring to forward Tadeo Allende. The attacker was one of the standout players for the Herons during the 2025 season, especially in the playoffs, where he scored crucial goals that helped fuel the club’s MLS title run. His offensive versatility made him a key component of the squad’s long-term project.

After several weeks of speculation, Inter Miami agreed to purchase his transfer rights from Celta Vigo for a fee of around $5 million. Nearly three weeks passed during which the player was unable to join training sessions with his teammates due to administrative issues. The delay forced the coaching staff to adjust their preseason planning.

Inter Miami roster limitations during preseason

At that point, Inter Miami had not been able to test their full roster, as Allende missed the first two preseason friendlies against Alianza Lima and Atlético Nacional, and he was not expected to be available for the match in Ecuador against Barcelona. However, based on Mascherano’s comments, the club anticipated that Allende would resume full training with the squad and be available for the last two remaining friendlies.

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Allende’s situation was not an isolated case. Inter Miami faced similar complications with other players on their roster. Defender Micael, who joined from Palmeiras to strengthen the back line for the 2026 MLS season, only began training with teammates days earlier due to comparable administrative delays.

Currently, Germán Berterame remains in a similar situation. The Argentine forward, who represented Mexico at the international level, was acquired by the Herons in a deal valued at approximately $15 million, but he had not yet received authorization to play with the club in United States territory. The situation created additional challenges for the coaching staff.

“It’s a very strange situation. I mean, we have a player who can’t train with us,” Mascherano said during the same press conference. “He’s in Miami training on his own, following a plan that we’ve given him.” The coach emphasized that the club continued monitoring the player’s physical condition remotely.

Will Berterame play in the final friendlies?

Even so, Mascherano made it clear that Berterame would travel to Ecuador to be part of the friendly against Barcelona. “German will be included in the squad. He can’t train with us, but he will travel to Ecuador because outside the United States he is allowed to play,” Mascherano explained. “We can’t afford to waste time. We need him to be with his teammates to help with his adaptation.”

After Friday morning’s training session in Fort Lauderdale, Inter Miami traveled to Ecuador later that day, where they awaited their match against Barcelona of Guayaquil. The friendly was scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. ET at Estadio Monumental Banco Pichincha, marking another key test before the MLS season approached.