Two years ago, the Leagues Cup benefited from hosting Lionel Messi’s bombastic stateside arrival. On Saturday, it provided the setting for a rarity in his twenty-plus-year career: visible anguish amidst injury.
Just over ten minutes into Inter Miami’s group stage clash with Necaxa, Messi was dribbling towards the Liga MX side’s box. As opponents converged to slow his progress, the Argentine legend fell to the ground after making contact with midfielders José Rodríguez and Raúl Sánchez.
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A global audience watching Apple TV+ saw a truly defeated-looking Messi lie on his back, both hands smacking the ground in frustration.
Trainers tended to the underside of Messi’s right leg before he exited the field, suggesting an injury to his right hamstring. Famously left-footed, an injury to his plant leg makes nearly every soccer action impossible.
🚨Lionel Messi is down and will be subbed off early in the game.
A huge blow for Inter Miami — the entire stadium stunned 😞
Redondo comes on in his place.— Inter Miami News Hub (@Intermiamicfhub) August 2, 2025
Inter Miami rallied to win in a penalty shootout thanks to a game-tying header by Jordi Alba to knot the score 2-2. Luis Suárez scored the game-winning kick.
The exit comes just over a week after Messi was suspended for missing the MLS All-Star Game. While the punishment was in line with the league’s established standard, Miami took umbrage with the penalty as Messi (and similarly honored teammate, Jordi Alba) skipped the exhibition to prioritize recovering for the Leagues Cup and MLS regular season.
Between the MLS season and Miami’s four-game run at the Club World Cup, Messi logged nine “full 90” shifts in just 35 days. That would be a strain on any player, especially one who’s nearing his 38th birthday and has played over two decades of high-level soccer.
Since joining Miami in July 2023, Messi has seldom exited games with signs of injury. The play leading to his removal wasn’t foul play so much as common contact during transition sequences. Soccer’s ever-congested schedule likely played a direct role in Messi’s potential injury.
(Photo of Lionel Messi on the ground: Sam Navarro / Imagn Images)
This news was originally published on this post .
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