Snowstorm delays Messi’s Champions Cup debut

Inter Miami’s first-leg match of the Concacaf Champions Cup against Sporting Kansas City will now be played on Feb. 19, after the sporting organization decided to postpone the event by 24 hours due to the adverse weather conditions in Kansas City.

According to multiple weather reports, a winter snowstorm is expected to bring between four to seven inches of snow across the city.

“The decision to reschedule the match has been made to prioritize player and fan safety, and in close coordination with the two participating clubs and the local authorities,” Concacaf said in a statement.

New Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano said in the pre-match news conference that the two teams remained in communication over the possibility to move the match to a different date, as both agreed on the difficulty of playing in harsh conditions.

“It’s not just a matter of the game, if the snow falls like they say is going to fall, we believe that the city is going to completely collapse, so people won’t be able to go to the field, the accesses may be closed. Many times you only think about the game itself and not everything that surrounds it,” he said.

Before Concacaf confirmed the postponement of the match, Mascherano clarified that Lionel Messi would be participating in the confrontation against Sporting KC regardless of the conditions. Inter Miami’s game plan will not vary depending on the weather.

“Messi’s availability is 100% and I can guarantee that Leo will play,” he said.

“The reality is that the lineup and the plan are not going to change much, that is, the reality is that we will try to be protagonists and try to follow the same line that we have shown throughout the preseason. Clearly the weather factor, especially if there is snow, can harm or condition the facts of our game, but obviously we are going with the hope of being able to achieve a good result that will put us on the path to the playoffs.”

Inter Miami will now officially kick off the 2025 campaign on Wednesday night against Sporting Kansas City at 8 p.m. ET.

Major League Soccer on Monday clarified that Inter Miami’s season opener against New York City FC, currently set for Saturday at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, will go on as scheduled.