Messi to miss crucial Leagues Cup game through injury

Lionel Messi will miss Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup group match against Pumas UNAM due to a minor muscle injury in his upper right leg.

The Argentinian sustained the injury during Miami’s clash with Necaxa, which ended 2-2 with the Herons winning on penalties.

Head coach Javier Mascherano confirmed that Messi will be unavailable for Wednesday’s fixture.

However, Mascherano suggested that Messi is a quick healer.

“Within the bad news, it’s good news,” Mascherano said.

“He usually recovers very well from injuries and above all, normally does with speed, so we will see. But clearly he is unavailable.”

The injury forced Miami into an 11th-minute substitution, but fortunately for the Herons, follow-up medical examinations confirmed the issue sustained by their talisman was minor.

One day to go before #MIAvPUM see you tomorrow.

: https://t.co/lTGNvvMI1Q pic.twitter.com/MtBETxEvkr

— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) August 5, 2025

Messi, who leads MLS with 18 goals this season, led Miami to the Leagues Cup title shortly after joining the club in 2023.

Miami will likely need a win over Pumas to ensure progress to the quarter-finals. They sit fifth in the overall MLS standings of the Leagues Cup, with the top four teams from each section advancing.

Elsewhere, Son Heung-min’s soon-to-be new Los Angeles FC team-mates came from a goal behind against Tigres to seal a 1-2 victory, with 19-year-old David Martinez netting a brace, including an ice-cool penalty.

The Columbus Crew consolidated their place at the top of the MLS group with a 1-0 victory over Leon.

The Houston Dynamo’s dismal Leagues Cup campaign continued with a 1-2 defeat to high-fliers Pachuca, leaving them winless in six across all competitions.

Puebla also strengthened their chances of qualification with a routine win against the now-eliminated Montreal CF.