soccer star Messi departs prematurely due to injury during Miami's victory in the Leagues Cup tournament
In a surprising turn of events during Inter Miami's Leagues Cup match against Necaxa, Argentine superstar forward Lionel Messi was forced to leave the field due to a minor muscle injury in his right leg. The injury occurred in the 11th minute of the game, after Messi came into contact with two defenders and showed visible frustration before seeking medical attention.
Messi's departure left a significant void in the Inter Miami lineup. He had been instrumental in the team's success, leading them to the Leagues Cup crown in 2023, shortly after his arrival with the MLS club. In the match against Necaxa, Messi had already assisted on both Inter Miami goals, with Venezuelan midfielder Telasco Segovia scoring in the 12th minute and Argentine striker Tomas Badaloni netting the equalizer in the 33rd minute.
The exact details of Messi's injury and the severity of the setback are still undetermined and will be known on Sunday. However, medical tests have confirmed the injury as minor. Head coach Javier Mascherano described the injury as minor and noted that Messi was not in severe pain but was experiencing discomfort. He also confirmed that Messi will miss the upcoming Leagues Cup group stage game versus Pumas UNAM but emphasized that Messi typically recovers quickly due to his exceptional fitness.
The match against Necaxa ended in a 2-2 draw, with Spain's Jordi Alba scoring the equalizer for Inter Miami in the second minute of stoppage time. The game went into a penalty shootout, where Rodrigo De Paul, Ben Cremaschi, Jordi Alba, Redondo, and Luis Suarez hit penalties for Miami, with Suarez getting the decider on the last kick. As a result, Inter Miami won the match 5-4 in a penalty shootout.
The match was not without incident, as Cristian Calderon of Necaxa received a red card in the 60th minute, and Maximiliano Falcon of Inter Miami was shown a red card in the 17th minute. Ricardo Monreal, who came off the Necaxa bench, scored in the 81st minute, but it was not enough to secure a win for Necaxa.
Messi has had a remarkable season so far, scoring 18 goals and assisting on nine others in 18 MLS appearances. His absence is a significant loss for Inter Miami, who will conclude group stage play in the Leagues Cup against Pumas on Wednesday. The team will be hoping for a speedy recovery for their star player.
In the absence of Messi, the upcoming Leagues Cup group stage game versus Pumas UNAM could be challenging for Inter Miami, given his instrumental role in their 2023 Leagues Cup victory. With European leagues like La Liga on hold, Messi's exceptional performance in Laliga and his contribution to Inter Miami's success in football will not be seen until his recovery, potentially affecting the team's standing in the European-leagues and in domestic sports competitions.
