Here is Messi’s status for Inter Miami vs. NYCFC at Yankee Stadium on Saturday afternoon

It has been more than a year since Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami, and he still creates buzz and raises ticket prices wherever he goes.

Yankee Stadium will be open to full capacity for the first time since 2016 for the New York City FC game against Miami on Saturday afternoon in anticipation of the Argentine star, who returned to action last week after a long injury layoff. A crowd of more than 40,000 is expected in the Bronx, which would be nearly double the season average.

The cheapest seats on TicketMaster were listed at $119, and the most expensive were more than $5,000 as of Friday afternoon. Secondary market cheapest tickets were in the $80 range and the priciest options exceeded $6000.

According to Vivid Seats ticket marketplace, the match was trending as NYCFC’s hottest home ticket on record with an average ticket price of $233, and the best deal at $74. There was a 39 percent spike in site traffic to the Inter Miami page after it was announced that Messi would make his return against the Philadelphia Union last weekend.

Nearly 68,000 fans were on hand at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Wednesday for Inter Miami’s 2-2 tie against Atlanta United. Messi came off the bench at the 60-minute mark and is expected to play more, and likely start, against NYCFC.

He started and played the full 105 minutes in a 3-1 home win against Philadelphia last Saturday, scoring a pair of goals and adding an assist in his first game back after two and a half months.

Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba were also left off the starting lineup against Atlanta, and Sergio Busquets was missing as he served a suspension for yellow card suspension. All three will probably start on Saturday (2 p.m., Apple TV).

“Leo played 30 minutes, did well, without any discomfort, so he is ready to play,” Inter Miami assistant coach Javi Morales said Friday morning. “Tata [Martino] will decide how much, but Leo is doing very well physically…When you have three games in a week, the game to rotate is the game in the middle [which was the Atlanta game]. I think Tata will put the strongest team out there on Saturday.”

Messi’s ankle is healed and he has looked in good form since his return, especially considering how much time he missed, Morales said. He added that everyone knows what kind of player Messi, he always wants to play, and they will use him every chance they can.

Diego Gomez (hamstring) will be a game-day decision, and the rest of the roster is available, Morales said. Noah Allen came off concussion protocol and is ready to play.

Martino returns to the sideline after serving a suspension against Atlanta due to yellow card accumulation.

Despite settling for a 2-2 tie with Atlanta, Inter Miami still holds a comfortable lead in the Supporters Shield race with the best record in the league and five games remaining.

Miami has 63 points, which is eight points more than FC Cincinnati and the Los Angeles Galaxy. Inter Miami needs nine points over the final five games to clinch the Shield and home field advantage during the playoffs, regardless of what other teams do. If Miami finishes with 73 points, it would tie the New England Revolution 2021 team for most points in league history.

Meanwhile, NYCFC is trying to stay above the playoff line after a 5-1 loss to Philadelphia on Wednesday. They are in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, but on an eight-game winless streak.

The Yankee Stadium field is the smallest in MLS, which creates a challenge for visiting teams. But Miami will be ready, Morales said.

“We know the dimensions are smaller, but we have to adapt to the different fields, from synthetic field to grass, but our objective is always to possess the ball,” he said. “The field is just one factor, and we won’t change our strategy.”

Ecuadorean forward Leo Campana scored against Atlanta and overtook Gonzalo Higuain as the leading all-time scorer for Inter Miami with 30 goals.

“It’s definitely a happy feeling, I feel privileged to reach that record,” Campana said. “I have not had as many minutes this season as I would have liked, but I have always said to be in this position I will always support my teammates and give my all when I get my opportunities. Luis and Leo are right behind me, so it feels good to have these moments of glory for a few days.”

He said after setting the record, his teammates joked with him that he better enjoy it because Messi and Suarez could overtake him in the next few weeks. Messi has scored 27 goals in his first 30 Miami games.

Asked about the large Ecuadorean community in New York that will be at the game supporting him on Saturday, Campana said: “I have heard from a lot of Ecuadoreans and I can feel their love. It is a very special game for me. It will be nice for me, personally, to share the game with so many people from Ecuador.”