Lionel Messi began his Inter Miami career with an absolute bang on Friday night, coming on as a second-half substitute and bagging a last-gasp winner from a free kick in injury time against Mexican outfit Cruz Azul. It was truly a storybook ending to his club debut and now, the Argentine has another chance to produce some magic on Tuesday against Atlanta United in the Leagues Cup. But, the question remains, is Lionel Messi playing?

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Lionel Messi injury status vs Atlanta United

Messi is still getting up to speed in terms of fitness considering he hasn't played in a couple of months when PSG's Ligue 1 campaign ended. But despite playing just over 36 minutes last week, it appears the La Albiceleste star is in line for a start against Atlanta.

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Miami boss Tato Martino had this to say Monday about Messi and Busquets' availability for the second matchday of the Leagues Cup. Via Mundo Albiceleste:

“It is very likely that both Messi and Busquets will play longer, even from the beginning. Everything will depend on how they feel. It's just their 2nd game.”

Martino also announced that Messi is the captain moving forward for Inter Miami, which is no surprise. The 36-year-old truly had a breathtaking first match for the MLS side, dribbling circles around Cruz Azul. He put on a show for a packed house at DRV PNK Stadium. Plus, that set-piece goal was signature Messi.

So to answer the question, is Lionel Messi playing vs Atlanta United? The answer is definitely and we may even see him play a full 90 minutes.