Why fans will have to wait to see Lionel Messi's MLS debut as postponement confirmed

Lionel Messi's highly anticipated MLS debut for Inter Miami has been postponed, meaning fans will have to wait even longer to see the World Cup winner in the league.

Despite playing four games for Inter Miami already, Messi is yet to feature in the league. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner's appearances have all come in the League Cup, where he has scored an incredible seven goals already, including an incredible 85th minute free-kick against FC Dallas to take the game to penalties.

In the process, he has helped guide his new club to the quarter-finals, where they will meet Charlotte FC on Sunday August 11.

Coincidentally, Inter Miami were also due to face Charlotte FC in the MLS on August 20, but the match has since been postponed. That is because at least one of the two teams are guaranteed to advance and therefore feature in either the final or third-placed playoff on August 19.

And and a game the day after has been deemed unfeasible by the MLS.

A statement on Inter Miami's website explaining the decision, read: "Major League Soccer announced today that Inter Miami CF's MLS match against Charlotte FC originally scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 20 at DRV PNK Stadium has been postponed to a later date to be announced.

"As both Inter Miami CF and Charlotte FC have advanced to the 2023 Leagues Cup quarter-finals, one of the two clubs will be playing on Aug. 19 in either the Leagues Cup final or third place match. Tickets originally purchased for the Aug. 20 MLS match will be honoured for the new date in which the game will be played."

Indeed, fans of Inter Miami will be desperate to see him in the league to help drag them up the table, with the club currently sitting rock bottom, having taken 18 points from 22 matches.