Lionel Messi’s 2026 debut: Confirmed lineups for Alianza Lima vs. Inter Miami preseason friendly
Inter Miami kicked off their 2026 preseason just a week ago as they prepare for the upcoming Major League Soccer season. While club officials continue negotiations for final signings, the team will take the field this Saturday to face Alianza Lima for their first friendly of the year, with all eyes on Lionel Messi.
Inter Miami will have a packed schedule of prep matches before official competitions begin in late February. The first of these games will take place at Estadio Alejandro Villanueva in Lima, Peru, with an expected attendance of around 34,000 fans.
Facing them will be one of Peru’s most prominent clubs. Alianza Lima is the second-most successful team in Peruvian league history, with 25 titles, behind only Universitario’s 29. In 2025, they finished third in the annual table and reached the quarterfinals of the Copa Sudamericana.
Confirmed lineup for Inter Miami vs. Alianza Lima
Given that this is the first friendly of the year, just a week into preseason, and that the roster is not fully finalized, Inter Miami will field a squad with several notable absences. Lionel Messi, however, has traveled to Peru and will be on the starting lineup.
The most significant absence is Tadeo Allende, a key player in Inter Miami’s 2025 MLS title, who recently agreed to remain with the Herons but is waiting on administrative clearance to join the squad. Some of the newest signings, including Luis Barraza and Micael, will also be unavailable.
The XI selected by coach Javier Mascherano is: Dayne St. Clair; Ian Fray, Maximiliano Falcon, Noah Allen, Sergio Reguilon; Rodrigo De Paul, Yannick Bright, Telasco Segovia; Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Mateo Silvetti.
Confirmed lineup for Alianza Lima vs. Inter Miami
For Alianza Lima, the friendly comes at an inconvenient time. The club is dealing with an internal crisis caused by off-field controversies that have temporarily sidelined three star players: Carlos Zambrano, Sergio Peña, and Miguel Trauco.
Given these circumstances, coach Pablo Guede’s lineup is: Guillermo Viscarra; Luis Advincula, Gianfranco Chavez, Renzo Garces, Cristian Carbajal; Pedro Aquino, Jesus Castillo, Jairo Velez; Gaspar Gentile, Eryc Castillo, Paolo Guerrero.