Messi Exits Early With Injury as Inter Miami Edge Necaxa in Leagues Cup Thriller

Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi was forced to leave the pitch just 11 minutes into Saturday night’s Leagues Cup clash against Mexico’s Necaxa due to a right hamstring issue, halting the Argentine star’s most consistent stretch of playing time since joining the Major League Soccer club in mid-2023.

Messi, 38, appeared to feel discomfort before signaling for a substitution. After the match, Inter Miami manager Javier Mascherano confirmed the injury, stating, “He felt hamstring discomfort.” The severity of the injury is not yet known.

The early exit broke a streak of 16 consecutive full appearances across MLS and FIFA Club World Cup competitions for Messi — a level of consistency he had not maintained in his previous two seasons. His absence comes just days after he returned from a one-game suspension for missing the 2025 MLS All-Star Game.

Despite Messi’s early departure, Inter Miami battled through a dramatic match that ended 2-2 in regulation. Midfielder Telasco Segovia opened the scoring shortly after Messi’s exit, giving the home side a brief lead. However, a red card to Marcelo Weigandt — for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity — left Miami with 10 men, and Necaxa capitalized to take a 2-1 lead.

Miami equalized in stoppage time to send the match to penalties, where the Herons prevailed 5-4 in a tense shootout.

Although Messi has yet to find the net in the current Leagues Cup campaign, he provided two assists — including the game-winning one — in Miami’s 2-1 win over Atlas in their group-stage opener on Wednesday. In MLS action, he remains tied for the league’s top scorer with 18 goals this season.

In contrast to his recent form, Messi’s first two MLS campaigns were plagued by injuries. After leading Miami to the 2023 Leagues Cup title with seven consecutive appearances, he missed six of the club’s final 12 regular-season games that year. His 2024 season was also disrupted, most notably by a torn leg muscle suffered during the Copa America final with Argentina in July.

Despite limited availability in 2024, Messi still managed to tally 20 goals and 16 assists in 19 MLS games, earning him the league’s Most Valuable Player award.

Inter Miami now faces anxious days ahead as the club awaits an update on their talisman’s condition, with key Leagues Cup and MLS fixtures on the horizon.