Messi Injured in Leagues Cup Match

Inter Miami’s captain, Lionel Messi, was subbed out in the 11th minute of Saturday’s Leagues Cup game against Club Necaxa due to a hamstring issue. Despite his departure, Inter Miami secured a 5-4 victory in a penalty shootout at Chase Stadium.

The injury happened when Messi collided with Necaxa defenders Raul Sanchez and Alexis Pena while advancing into the penalty area.

After going down, Messi showed his frustration before attempting to play on. He then requested medical assistance and was replaced by Federico Redondo.

Inter Miami’s head coach, Javier Mascherano, mentioned post-game that Messi sustained a hamstring injury, with further updates expected the following day. There is hope that the injury is not severe, with reports indicating the player felt discomfort rather than intense pain.

“Leo felt some discomfort in his hamstring,” Mascherano stated.

“The injury’s extent will be determined. It’s likely something is amiss. However, it might not be too serious since he wasn’t experiencing pain, just discomfort.”

Messi has a history of hamstring injuries and has been sidelined on several occasions in recent seasons due to leg problems.

The most recent issue involved his left adductor, which caused him to miss two of Argentina’s World Cup qualifying matches earlier in the year.

In 2025, the 37-year-old participated in 30 games for Inter Miami across all competitions, contributing 18 goals and nine assists in MLS play alone.