Messi unlikely to play as Inter Miami faces Leagues Cup elimination vs. Leon

MIAMI — Lionel Messi could return to South Florida as early as Wednesday after spending time with family in Rosario, Argentina, following the funeral of his father, Jorge, over the weekend.

A24 news channel in Argentina reported that Messi, his wife and three sons were scheduled to board a private plane late Tuesday night and head back to Fort Lauderdale, where the 2026-27 school year begins this week and where Inter Miami was preparing for two upcoming matches.

There is no word on when Messi will return to training with Inter Miami, though it is unlikely he will play on Wednesday night in the third and final Leagues Cup group phase game against Mexican club Leon. Inter Miami coach Guillermo Hoyos said on Tuesday that there was no timetable for Messi’s return.

Hoyos, a close friend of the Messi family since Leo was a teenager, struggled to speak about the death of Jorge Messi, saying only that he was “a great among greats” and that the entire team has suffered greatly from his loss.

Inter Miami is on the brink of elimination from the Leagues Cup before the knockout round for the first time in the tournament’s four-year history after losing 2-1 to Monterrey with a depleted attack that was missing Messi, suspended Luis Suarez and injured German Berterame, Mateo Silvetti and Tadeo Allende.

Young forward Daniel Pinter started for Miami alongside Lovend’s Delinois, a 21-year-old Haitian called up from Inter Miami II to make his senior debut.

Rodrigo De Paul, who wore the captain’s armband in Messi’s absence, gave Miami the lead with a long-range shot in the 32nd minute, and pulled off his shirt to reveal Messi’s jersey underneath in a tribute to his close friend and teammate. But two former MLS players, Hugo Cuypers and Diego Rossi, scored for Monterrey in the second half to seal the win. Rossi’s goal came at the 90-minute mark, leaving Miami with no points for the game.

Miami had won the opening game 4-2 against San Luis with Messi scoring a pair of goals and assisting on another, but the Argentine captain was unavailable for Game 2 due to his father’s funeral.

The loss to Monterrey left Inter Miami in 11th place among the 18 MLS teams in the tournament with a difficult task against Leon, which won both its opening Leagues Cup games against Nashville (1-0) and Orlando City (2-1).

Only the top four clubs from the MLS standings and top four from Liga MX advance to the quarterfinals. It will take a miracle for Miami to get through.

Inter Miami has just three points, five goals scored, and four conceded for a +1 goal differential. The top six teams (Charlotte FC, Austin FC, FC Cincinnati, Chicago Fire, Columbus Crew, and FC Dallas), have six points each off two wins with a goal differential of at least +2 (+5 for leaders Charlotte and Austin).

For Miami to advance, it would need to beat Leon by several goals and hope a few of the top teams drop points in their third games.

Leon midfielder Fernando Beltran said it had been a dream of his to have a chance to face Messi and that it was a shame he likely will not get that opportunity.

“From the start of this tournament, knowing we would face Inter Miami, it was a dream to think about playing against Messi because I have watched him since I was a kid, idolizing him, as so many do, as he is the best of all time,” Beltran said. “It’s too bad what happened to him, I offer deep condolences. It’s very tough to lose his father.

“It had been a dream to see him on the field after watching him so many years on TV. Hopefully, some day in the future I’ll be able to realize that dream.”

Leon was not one of the tournament favorites heading into Leagues Cup and did not have a strong start to the Liga MX season, but coach Javier Gandolfi said winning two Leagues Cup matches has raised expectations.

“We are one of the few Liga MX teams that won both games so far, so people are viewing us a different way now,” Gandolfi said. “We are approaching this next game the same way we do every game, going for the victory. We are not focusing on math, or on whether we need a tie or a win to advance. If we prepare with that attitude, we will have a poor result.”

Inter Miami forward Suarez remains out, serving a six-game suspension for spitting on a Seattle Sounders official during last year’s Leagues Cup final. Silvetti did not train Tuesday.

Berterame, who has been on concussion protocol, trained with his teammates, but the club’s medical staff is being cautious about his return date. Hoyos said it would be at least “a few more days” before Berterame gets clearance to play.

Miami’s defense has been vulnerable, conceding 12 goals over the past six games.

“As a team, not just the defense, we have to find solutions to avoid giving up those goals that cost us results and points,” said Inter Miami right back Facundo Mura. “In the league we’ve been able to recover points and are near the top. But in this tournament, which is unforgiving, the cost for giving up goals is greater and we are aware of that.”

Wednesday’s game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at Nu Stadium. Tickets are available through TicketMaster and secondary online marketplaces. The match will air on Apple TV.

Inter Miami returns to league play on Saturday with a road game against Nashville SC, which sits atop the Eastern Conference table and leads the Supporters’ Shield race. Miami is in second place, two points behind Nashville.

Messi has scored multiple goals in three straight regular-season games against Nashville dating back to 2024. If he plays on Saturday, Messi could become the first player in MLS history to score multiple goals in four consecutive games against a single club.