A wave of anxiety rippled through Chase Stadium on Saturday when Lionel Messi was forced off Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup match against Necaxa after just minutes on the pitch.
Inter Miami pulled off a dramatic comeback in the Leagues Cup on Saturday night, edging Necaxa 5-4 in a penalty shootout after losing Lionel Messi to an early injury. In the 8th minute, Messi was tripped while chasing the ball, collapsing to the turf and slamming his fist in visible frustration before gingerly walking toward midfield. He remained seated on the pitch as medical staff tended to his right upper leg/right thigh region, seemingly targeting an adductor or thigh strain.
By the 11th minute, head coach Javier Mascherano made the precautionary decision to substitute Messi for Federico Redondo, and the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner immediately retreated to the locker room. Two minutes later, Inter Miami took a 1-0 lead via Telasco Segovia, assisted by Rodrigo De Paul—making his Inter Miami debut.
With Miami reduced to 10 men midway through the first half following a straight red card to defender Maxi Falcón, Necaxa equalized before halftime, taking the intensity up another notch. Inter Miami comms gave no immediate update on the severity of Messi’s condition, but any time he goes down you can literally hear club management and the league panic.
Earlier in the season, Messi missed World Cup qualifiers in March due to similar thigh and adductor issues—heightening alarm over the possibility of a recurring injury during a season where he has already logged over 2,500 minutes across club and country competition. He did not look anywhere near his level in two legs against the Vancouver Whitecaps, as the Canadian club easily disposed of the Herons to reach the CONCACAF Champions Cup final.
Jordi Alba delivered the equalizer in stoppage time, heading home in the 92nd minute to make it 2-2 and send the game to penalties. Miami converted all five of their spot kicks, with Rocco Ríos Novo making a crucial save on Tomás Badaloni in the third round. Luis Suárez sealed the win for Inter Miami, blasting his penalty into the top left corner.
Inter Miami’s hopes of advancing to the Leagues Cup knockout stage hang heavily on the status of their captain. Further updates are expected ahead of their next Leagues Cup fixture against Pedro Vite and Keylor Navas’ Pumas UNAM on Wednesday, with MLS action resuming on August 10 versus Orlando City.
