It looks like Lionel Messi will play against Revolution at Gillette Stadium
Lionel Messi made the trip to Foxboro with Inter Miami CF and appears set to take on the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday night. The Revs will look to snap a four-game winless streak as the club tries to keep Messi and Miami's offensive attack at bay.
and his teammates boarding a plane and making the trip up north on Tuesday, a good indication the soccer superstar will hit the pitch in Foxboro Wednesday night. There was some question as to whether or not the 38-year-old Messi would play Wednesday after Miami played over the weekend and has another match set for Saturday.
Chances are Messi would have stayed home if he didn't intend to play Wednesday. He may not play the entire match, but fans in Foxboro should still get a chance to see the greatest player in the world. We'll know for sure when lineups are announced about an before gametime, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m.
Messi led Inter Miami to a 4-1 win over Montreal on Saturday with a pair of goals and an assist. His 12 goals on the season are tied for the third most in Major League Soccer, and Miami leads the Eastern Conference with 40 goals scored. The Herons are 9-3-5 on the season and sit in sixth place in the Eastern Conference. The club is 3-0-1 in its last four MLS matches.
The Revolution will look to keep Messi and Company at bay with its top-five defense, which has surrendered just 23 goals this season -- tied for the fourth-fewest in MLS. But New England is scuffling a bit, losing to the Timbers, 2-1, in Portland on Saturday . The Revs haven't won a match since a 3-0 victory over Montreal on May 31.
The Revolution are 6-7-6 on the season after going 0-3-1 in their last four. They currently sit in 11th place in the East and are four points behind Chicago for the final play-in spot in the conference.
While Messi will command plenty of attention if he plays, Revolution midfielder Carles Gil could steal some of the spotlight. He tallied an assist on Saturday for his seventh of the season, and now has 14 goal contributions in his last 15 starts. He's just three goal contributions from tying Revs legend Taylor Twellman (129) for the most combined goals and assists in club history.
Messi at Gillette Stadium in 2024
Last April, 65,612 fans packed Gillette Stadium to see Messi's first MLS visit. He played the full 90 minutes and put on a show with a pair of goals and an assist to lead Miami to a 4-1 victory.
The Revolution scored first in both of their clashes with Miami last season, but both turned into lopsided defeats. After losing 4-1 in New England, the Revs lost 6-2 in South Florida.
But again, don't count out Gil for the Revs on Wednesday. In his last seven meetings with Miami, the 2021 MLS MVP has scored three goals and dished out six assists for New England.
