Inter Miami will face Liga MX side Tigres with a ticket to the 2025 Leagues Cup semifinals on the line, but they’ll have to do so without their best player: Lionel Messi.
Messi made his return from a minor muscle injury with a goal and an assist in 45 minutes played in Miami’s victory over LA Galaxy last weekend. However, Messi was seen grabbing at his hamstring late in the game, raising concerns over his fitness status.
Those concerns only worsened when Messi was seen arriving at Chase Stadium ahead of the game vs. Tigres in street clothes. Then, the fears became a reality when Miami announced their starting lineup, with Messi nowhere to be found. The forward is not even available from the bench.
The Argentine star didn’t feature in Miami’s final practice session prior to the Leagues Cup clash. Javier Mascherano was asked about Messi’s availability on the eve of the game and although he confirmed he didn’t train with the team, he refused to give a definitive answer on his status for the match.
“Yes, Leo [Messi] didn’t train with the group, he trained separately,” Mascherano said. “He felt uncomfortable in the 45 minutes he played [vs. LA Galaxy]. We’ll monitor him between today and tomorrow, but he’s not ruled out. I can’t tell you right now if he’s going to play or not.
“A lot of it will depend on how he feels,” Mascherano added.
Messi suffered the initial injury in Miami’s second game of their 2025 Leagues Cup campaign against Necaxa and had to be substituted 11 minutes into the match. He went on to miss the next two games for the Herons before returning last weekend. However, it now appears his return might’ve been premature.
Miami started their Leagues Cup journey with a 2–1 win vs. Atlas in a game where Messi had two assists. Now, they’ll be forced to play against one of the strongest sides in North America in the quarterfinals with Messi watching from the stands.
The club will hope that having Rodrigo De Paul back in the starting XI will help them in their quest to reclaim the Leagues Cup throne they conquered in 2023.