Just two weeks separate Inter Miami from the start of the 2026 Major League Soccer season, which will see them open the campaign against Los Angeles FC in California. With the goal of being fully prepared for that challenge, Lionel Messi and his teammates are using these exhibition matches to build fitness and match sharpness. Saturday’s game against Barcelona SC will be their third of the preseason.
Results for the Herons during the preseason have been mixed. They opened the year with a heavy 3-0 loss to Alianza Lima in Peru, a performance that exposed flaws not typically associated with the reigning MLS champions. That image improved significantly last Saturday, however, when they earned a 2-1 win over Atletico Nacional in Colombia.
Inter Miami’s next opponent will be Barcelona SC, one of the most important clubs in Ecuador. The Guayaquil-based side has won the domestic league 13 times, most recently in the 2020 season.
Like the Herons, Barcelona SC are also in the final stretch of their preseason, during which they played two friendlies against Guayaquil City. On February 18, they will face their first official test of the year, opening their Copa Libertadores qualifying campaign against Argentinos Juniors.
Barcelona SC player Byron Castillo.
Projected Inter Miami lineup
As in the previous two friendlies, Inter Miami will enter Saturday’s match without several key players. The most notable absence is Tadeo Allende, who has yet to train with the team this year due to administrative issues related to the approval of his visa.
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Lionel Messi is expected to be part of the starting lineup once again. He has featured in both preseason matches so far — in each case being substituted in the second half — and is gradually regaining full match fitness. Another important note is that German Berterame, one of the club’s marquee signings this year, is expected to start on the bench.
Javier Mascherano’s projected lineup to face Barcelona SC is: Dayne St Clair; Ian Fray, Maximiliano Falcon, Noah Allen, Facundo Mura; Rodrigo De Paul, David Ayala, Telasco Segovia; Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Mateo Silvetti.
Projected Barcelona SC lineup
As with Inter Miami, Saturday’s friendly represents one of Barcelona SC’s final opportunities to experiment ahead of the start of official competition in 2026. As a result, head coach Cesar Farias is expected to field most of his top players.
Barcelona SC’s projected starting lineup against Inter Miami is: Jose David Contreras; Byron Castillo, Jhonnier Chala, Luca Sosa, Anibal Chala; Jesus Trindade, Leonai Souza; Jhandry Gomez, Joao Rojas, Braian Oyola; Dario Benedetto.
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