Lionel Messi is back on the training pitch with Inter Miami, but whether he is fit to face Columbus Crew this weekend is, for now, an open question. ONE reports that the Argentine captain's status for Saturday's game remains genuinely uncertain, with the club yet to commit either way.

Messi rejoined his teammates in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday, arriving back early after Argentina's run to the 2026 World Cup final ended in a defeat to Spain. Under FIFA's post-tournament rest rules he was entitled to as much as three weeks off; instead he chose to report back to Inter Miami well ahead of that deadline.

Asked directly whether his captain would be available against Columbus, head coach Guillermo Hoyos stopped short of a promise. "He arrived recently, so we haven't had the chance to discuss it properly yet," Hoyos said. "But we're happy he and De Paul have returned."

Rodrigo De Paul, who also reported back this week after Argentina's tournament, appears to be in a similarly uncertain spot — grouped by his coach with Messi as a player whose immediate workload has not yet been decided.

US outlets covering the club suggest Inter Miami may lean toward caution, holding Messi out of the Columbus fixture altogether rather than risk him after a long, physically taxing summer, and instead easing him back in once the Leagues Cup begins in midweek.

That competition brings a concentrated run of home fixtures at Chase Stadium: Atlético San Luis on August 5, Monterrey on August 8, and León on August 12, giving the club three chances to reintroduce Messi gradually without the travel demands of an away trip.

Whatever is decided, Inter Miami head into the weekend in excellent form. They arrive on a six-match winning streak and sit second in the Eastern Conference, meaning there is no pressing need to gamble on their biggest asset before he is ready.

Kickoff against Columbus Crew is set for Saturday evening in Florida — the early hours of Sunday in Israel — with Hoyos expected to finalise his selection, and his stance on Messi, only in the build-up to the match.