Lionel Messi suffered an apparent injury and was substituted in the 11th minute of Inter Miami’s dramatic Leagues Cup victory over Mexico’s Necaxa on Saturday night at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
The 38-year-old Argentine superstar appeared to be dealing with discomfort in his upper right leg or groin area. He received treatment on the sideline before walking off under his own power and heading directly to the locker room.
Following Inter Miami’s 5-4 win in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw, head coach Javier Mascherano offered a cautious update.
“Well, he felt a discomfort, and we won’t know the extent of the injury until tomorrow,” Mascherano said. “There’s probably something there—maybe not too serious, since he wasn’t in significant pain—but he did feel a pull.”
The injury occurred after Messi made a trademark run into the Necaxa defense. As he approached the top of the box, he stumbled and collided with defender Alexis Peña, then fell to the ground, visibly frustrated. Moments later, with no players around him, Messi sat down near the left wing and briefly lay on his back before being attended to by trainers. Federico Redondo came on to replace him.
Despite the early setback, Inter Miami battled to a draw and secured victory in penalties. Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez sealed the win with the final spot kick, following successful attempts by Rodrigo De Paul, Ben Cremaschi, Jordi Alba, Redondo, and Suárez himself. Necaxa’s Tomas Badaloni saw his penalty saved in the third round—proving decisive.
The match was a physical contest, with both teams reduced to 10 men. Miami’s Maximiliano Falcón was sent off in the 17th minute, just five minutes after Venezuelan midfielder Telasco Segovia gave the Herons a 1-0 lead. Necaxa equalized in the 33rd minute through Badaloni, and the visitors took the lead in the 81st via substitute Ricardo Monreal. But Jordi Alba delivered a clutch equalizer in stoppage time to force penalties.
Messi, who had thigh issues during World Cup qualifiers in March, has been in stellar form this season—scoring 18 goals and adding nine assists in 18 MLS appearances. He also assisted both goals in Inter Miami’s 2-1 win over Atlas on Wednesday in their Leagues Cup opener.
Miami wraps up group play on Wednesday against Mexican side Pumas. Messi led Inter Miami to the Leagues Cup title in 2023 shortly after joining the club.
