Lionel Messi exited the pitch with an apparent injury in just the 11th minute of Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup match against Mexico’s Necaxa, held on Saturday at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Despite his early departure, Inter Miami triumphed 5-4 on penalties following a dramatic 2-2 draw.
Incident Summary
| Player | Event | Time | Details |
| Lionel Messi | Substituted due to injury | 11th minute | Seemed to be treating upper right leg/groin before exiting the match |
| Messi’s Replacement | Federico Redondo | 11th minute | Entered after Messi was subbed off |
Messi, 38, appeared to tweak his upper right leg or groin while dribbling into Necaxa’s defence, colliding with defender Alexis Peña. He later sat down near midfield, laid briefly on his back, and was attended to by trainers before walking off unassisted.
Match Summary: Inter Miami vs Necaxa
| Statistic | Inter Miami | Necaxa |
| Final Score | 2 | 2 |
| Penalty Shootout | 5 | 4 |
| Red Cards | 1 (Maximiliano Falcón) | 1 (Cristian Calderón) |
| Possession | Not specified | Not specified |
| Key Goals | Segovia (12’), Alba (90+2’) | Badaloni (33’), Monreal (81’) |
Penalty Shootout Breakdown
| Penalty Takers for Miami | Result |
| Rodrigo De Paul | ✅ Scored |
| Ben Cremaschi | ✅ Scored |
| Jordi Alba | ✅ Scored |
| Federico Redondo | ✅ Scored |
| Luis Suárez | ✅ Scored (Decider) |
| Penalty Taker for Necaxa | Result |
| Tomás Badaloni | ❌ Missed (Decisive) |
Goal Timeline
| Minute | Scorer | Team | Event |
| 12’ | Telasco Segovia | Inter Miami | Opened scoring |
| 17’ | Red Card: Falcón | Inter Miami | Sent off for serious foul |
| 33’ | Tomás Badaloni | Necaxa | Equaliser |
| 60’ | Red Card: Calderón | Necaxa | Dismissed after second bookable offence |
| 81’ | Ricardo Monreal | Necaxa | Gave Necaxa 2-1 lead |
| 90+2’ | Jordi Alba | Inter Miami | Equalised in stoppage time |
Messi’s Recent Form & Injury Concerns
- Current Season MLS Stats:
- Goals: 18
- Assists: 9
- Appearances: 18
- Recent Form in Leagues Cup:
- Assisted both goals in 2-1 win over Atlas on Wednesday.
- Injury History:
- Struggled with thigh strain during March’s World Cup qualifiers.
Group Stage Progress
- Upcoming Fixture:
- Inter Miami vs Pumas – Wednesday (Final Group Stage Match)
- Historical Note:
- Messi led Inter Miami to win the inaugural Leagues Cup title in 2023, shortly after joining the MLS side.
Messi’s injury will be closely monitored by fans and club officials alike, as Inter Miami prepare for their final group stage match and aim to defend their Leagues Cup crown.
