- Lionel Messi suffered a ‘minor’ upper right leg muscle injury during Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup match against Necaxa on Aug. 2.
- It is uncertain how long Messi will be sidelined, but his status for the Aug. 6 Leagues Cup match against Pumas UNAM is in question.
- Inter Miami would advance to the knockout stage of the Leagues Cup with a win against Pumas.
Lionel Messi is expected to miss some playing time with Inter Miami, but it’s unclear how long he could be sidelined due to his upper, right-leg injury.
Messi has ‘a minor muscle injury,’ Inter Miami announced on Aug. 3 in a statement. The announcement did not include a timetable for his return.
Inter Miami’s next match is in the 2025 Leagues Cup tournament – Aug. 6 against Pumas UNAM at Chase Stadium – with a prime opportunity to advance to the knockout stage.
It’s likely Inter Miami will play their next match without their eight-time Ballon d’Or winner and Argentine World Cup champion.
Here’s everything you need to know about Lionel Messi’s latest injury, including Inter Miami’s upcoming schedule and two matches Messi could play with Argentina in early September:
Will Messi play in Inter Miami’s next Leagues Cup match?
Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano will have a press conference on Tuesday, Aug. 5, a day before their next match, where Messi’s status for the Aug. 6 match could be announced.
What injury does Lionel Messi have?
Messi has an upper, right-leg injury – which Inter Miami described as a ‘minor muscle injury.’
When did Messi get injured?
Messi was injured in the opening minutes of Inter Miami’s Aug. 2 Leagues Cup match against Necaxa. Messi attempted to charge forward into the penalty area with possession, but was tripped up and fell to the pitch.
Messi made the move in the 6th minute of the match, and was removed as a substitute in the 11th minute. He walked off on his own into Inter Miami’s locker room after a trainer massaged his upper, right leg upon evaluation.
How much time will Messi miss due to injury?
It’s unclear how long Messi will be out or how many matches he would miss due to this injury.
Inter Miami has prime opportunity to advance in Leagues Cup
Inter Miami is in third place – behind Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers – in the MLS side of the Leagues Cup table after the first two matches. Only the Top 4 clubs from MLS and LIGA MX will advance to the knockout stage.
Simply put, Inter Miami would advance if they beat Pumas by any score. With five points in the standings, Inter Miami is ahead of six other MLS clubs with four points. A win to reach eight points would be enough to advance.
Could Messi return if Inter Miami advances in Leagues Cup?
The best-case scenario for Inter Miami is they advance to the knockout stage, and Messi returns to play in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals on either Aug. 19 or 20. But it’s still too early to guess if Messi would recover in time.
What is Inter Miami’s upcoming schedule?
After Inter Miami plays against Pumas, they will have two MLS regular-season matches before the Leagues Cup quarterfinals – if they qualify. Here’s Inter Miami’s upcoming schedule through August:
- Aug. 6: Inter Miami vs. Pumas, 7:30 p.m. ET (Leagues Cup)
- Aug. 10: Orlando City vs. Inter Miami, 8 p.m. (MLS regular season)
- Aug. 16: Inter Miami vs. LA Galaxy, 7:30 p.m. (MLS regular season)
- Aug. 19 or 20: Leagues Cup quarterfinals (if applicable)
- Aug. 23: D.C. United vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m. ET (MLS regular season)
- Aug. 26 or 27: Leagues Cup semifinals (if applicable)
- Aug. 30: Inter Miami vs. Chicago Fire, 7:30 p.m. ET (MLS regular season)
- Aug. 31: Leagues Cup final and third-place match (if applicable)
Will Messi play with Argentina in September World Cup qualifiers?
Argentina has already qualified for the 2026 World Cup, but still has two more qualifying matches to play: Sept. 4 vs. Venezuela and Sept. 9 vs. Ecuador.
The Sept. 4 match is one to keep an eye on: It will be played in Argentina, and could possibly be Messi’s last match in his home country.