What to know as Messi, Inter Miami kick off preseason Saturday in Las Vegas vs. America

Inter Miami announced another player signing Friday just before Lionel Messi and his teammates boarded a flight to Las Vegas for the preseason opening match Saturday at 10 p.m. against Mexican champion Club America at Allegiant Stadium.

The club added 21-year-old Venezuelan midfielder Telasco Segovia from Portugal’s Casa Pia AC. He is under contract through the 2029 season.

Segovia had nine goals and 20 assists in 108 matches in Venezuela (Deportivo Lara), Italy (Sampdoria) and Portugal. He also played for Venezuela’s senior side, including appearances in the 2024 Copa América and 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. While with the national youth team, Segovia won the Golden Ball and Best XI honors at the 2022 Maurice Revello Tournament.

“We’re excited to sign a promising young midfielder like Telasco Segovia,” Inter Miami president of football operations Raúl Sanllehi said. “He will provide us quality depth in midfield, which will be key for a 2025 season in which Inter Miami will be competing in several tournaments both domestically and internationally.”

Segovia was awaiting his work visa, so it is unknown if he will be available for the game Saturday.

The match against America is the first of five preseason dates for Inter Miami on its “Americas Tour”. The team will play games in Peru, Panama and Honduras over the next few weeks and end the tour in Tampa against Orlando City on Valentine’s Day.

Although Inter Miami lost in the first round of the playoffs in 2024, the team’s record-breaking regular season and presence of Messi and high-profile teammates Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets continue to make their games a hot ticket.

The average ticket price to Saturday’s match is $311, with the best deal currently being $144, according to Vivid Seats ticket marketplace.

Four of the top five MLS tickets this season include Inter Miami, with the hottest ticket this season being their away matchup against the San Jose Earthquakes in May 2025. The average ticket price is $608, with the best deal currently being $552. The Inter Miami vs. San Jose game is trending as the third hottest MLS ticket in over 15 years.

Messi is expected to play on Saturday but will likely play limited minutes as the team just reported to camp a week ago and faces a jam-packed schedule with preseason, Concacaf Champions Cup, MLS season, Club World Cup and Leagues Cup.

Asked whether the team feels pressure to win after the early playoff exit last season, right back Marcelo Weigandt said: “This team always feels obligated to win matches and trophies. We are used to it.”

Saturday’s game is the debut of new Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano, who replaced Tata Martino after his unexpected resignation. The team has been training just five days and signed a handful of players over the past few days.

One of the new signees, 22-year-old Argentine American goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo, may have to start against America as Drake Callender suffered a minor injury in U.S. training camp and Oscar Ustari just re-signed in recent days was finalizing his visa paperwork as of Friday morning.

Rios Novo, who was born in Los Angeles but moved to Argentina at age three, was claimed on loan from Argentine club Lanus. He previously played for USL team Phoenix Rising and Atlanta United.

“I am enjoying this moment, surrounded by big players and doing what I can to help the team,” Rios Novo said. “For me it is a dream to be on a team with so many top players, not just the Argentines. I have been following the team since Leo [Messi] joined a few years ago.”

Club América has won three consecutive LIGA MX titles and is among Mexico’s most successful club with 16 titles and seven Concacaf Champions Cups.

How to Watch Messi, Inter Miami vs. Club America

Fans can watch Inter Miami vs. America for free on Apple’s MLS Season Pass at 10 p.m.

Messi, Inter Miami 2025 Preseason Schedule:

Jan. 18 (10 p.m. ET) | Club América | Allegiant Stadium | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Jan. 29 (8 p.m. ET) | Club Universitario de Deportes | Estadio Monumental | Lima, Peru

Feb. 2 (5 p.m. ET) | Sporting San Miguelito | Estadio Rommel Fernández Gutiérrez | Panama City, Panama

Feb. 8 (8 p.m. ET) | Club Deportivo Olimpia | Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano | San Pedro Sula, Honduras

Feb. 14 (7:30 p.m. ET) | Orlando City SC | Raymond James Stadium | Tampa, Florida, United States