Match against CFM on Saturday | Lionel Messi is in Montreal

Montreal, Lionel Messi is on you.

We’re having fun, but that’s a bit of the feeling that has been in the city since Friday evening.

The Inter Miami charter flight landed in Montreal in the evening. He will face CF Montreal this Saturday evening, at 7:30 p.m., at Saputo stadium.

This will be the very first time that Messi, considered by many to be the best player of all time, will play a match in Canada. A few hours before the long-awaited meeting, the grandeur of the occasion has already begun to be felt.

There were a few dozen waiting for him at the Montreal airport on Friday evening. Others greeted him frantically as he exited the bus at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

And there are still a few posts left, at the time of publishing. The cheapest ones appear to be available for a minimum of $325, excluding the resale market. For those who prefer to watch the match from the comfort of their living room, the match will be broadcast on RDS, TSN5 and Apple TV.

So, now that we know Messi made the trip with the team, the big question: will he play?

Everything seems to believe it so. We can even argue that he should be in the starting lineup. We will have confirmation about an hour before kick-off, around 6:30 p.m.

This is because Messi, just like his team, is all fired up right now. He scored a goal and recorded a record five assists last week against the Red Bulls. He already has 10 goals and 12 assists on his record, in just 8 appearances in 2024.

On Friday he trained without any problems. Just like Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets. The only one missing from the ex-Barcelona quartet will be Jordi Alba, who is recovering from an injury.

Miami (7-2-3), which sits atop MLS, is on a streak of four straight wins and six games without a loss. Gerardo “Tata” Martino’s squad wants to continue to achieve good results, since soon, its best weapons, including Messi, will leave the club to return to their national teams for the Copa América.

In these circumstances, when Messi is healthy, we use him.

On the Montreal side, Laurent Courtois’ men will obviously have a lot to do to contain the Pulga. Their last meeting in MLS, in Nashville last Saturday, ended in a 4-1 defeat.

The CFM (3-4-3) has only played two home games since the start of the season. He got a 2-1 win against Cincinnati, and a 2-2 draw against Orlando.

At the Saputo stadium so far, the Bleu-blanc-noir has managed to better impose its style. It remains to be seen if this Saturday, he will be obsessed with this meeting against the idol of several of his players. And if the recent upheavals in its sporting management will have an impact on the field.