Lionel Messi Archives

Lionel Messi brace propels Inter Miami into Leagues Cup final

Lionel Messi scored twice late on as Inter Miami fought back to beat Orlando City 3-1 and reach the final of the Leagues Cup on Wednesday.

After missing two straight matches with a right thigh injury, Messi converted a penalty in the 77th minute to pull Inter level at 1-1, then combined with Jordi Alba to put the hosts ahead in the 88th.

Telasco Segovia added a third in injury time as Inter Miami returned to the final of the Leagues Cup, the cross-border competition featuring teams from Major League Soccer and Mexico’s Liga-MX.

For the unversed, Inter Milan won it in 2023, Messi’s first season in MLS.

“We are at a loss for words when it comes to discussing Leo (Messi),” said Javier Morales, the Inter assistant coach who was at the helm as Javier Mascherano watched from the stands serving a red card suspension.

“He trained only two or three days, and then he played 90 minutes, and the way he played created situations, scoring goals.”

Messi, who had played once since he was injured on August 2, admitted he felt some trepidation.

“I prepared to be in this match because I knew how important it was, against a very tough opponent who had beaten us in both games we faced this year,” he said.

“The truth is in the first half I felt a little scared, but in the second I loosened up a bit more.”

Miami will travel to Seattle for Sunday’s final after the Sounders beat reigning MLS Cup champions Los Angeles Galaxy 2-0 in California.

Goals from Pedro de la Vega in the seventh minute and Osaze Rosario in the 57th lifted the Sounders, who held on with 10 men after Nouhou Tolo was sent off in the 83rd minute for a sliding tackle on Gabriel Pec.

The finalists are both assured of berths in the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup, with the winner of the third-place playoff between Orlando and Los Angeles also punching their ticket to the regional tournament.

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In a high-energy first half in Fort Lauderdale, Croatia’s Marco Pasalic silenced the crowd at Inter’s Chase Stadium with a goal in first-half added time.

Luis Muriel slipped a pass into the area, and Maximiliano Falcon’s attempt to clear it instead saw the ball deflect back to Pasalic, who rifled a left-footed shot into the net.

Inter players appealed, saying the ball hit Pasalic’s arm, but VAR confirmed the goal.

Orlando City, who had twice humbled their cross-state rivals this season, continued to stymie Inter in the second half.

Luis Suarez forced a save from Orlando keeper Pedro Gallese while Messi twice threatened in the area only to find himself swamped in a sea of defenders.

Orlando lost some momentum in the 59th minute when Guatemalan referee Walter Lopez denied them a penalty after Sergio Busquets’ foul on Ivan Angulo.

And the momentum shifted irrevocably Miami’s way in the 74th minute when substitute Tadeo Allende drew a foul in the box.

David Brekalo’s challenge included a tug on Allende’s jersey and earned him a second yellow card.

He departed as Lionel Messi went to the spot, the Argentine great firing past Gallese into the lower right corner of the net.

Eleven minutes later, he sparked joyous celebrations with his second goal.

Orlando coach Oscar Pareja was irked by the second-half officiating, notably the second yellow card for Brekalo, which he insisted “wasn’t a yellow.”

But Morales said it was “clear that the defender grabbed Tadeo,” who the coach said could have scored had he not been held.

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Inter Miami provide update on Lionel Messi ahead of Leagues Cup semis

Inter Miami team management has revealed that the status of Lionel Messi for the Leagues Cup semi-final against Orlando City will be determined on game day, following his practice with teammates on Tuesday.

Inter Miami assistant coach Javier Morales said the Herons will monitor both Messi and Jordi Alba before deciding whether they will be available for Wednesday’s home showdown against Orlando City.

“Jordi and Leo trained with us, they completed training. We’ll see how they feel as the day progresses, and tomorrow we’ll make a decision,” Morales said.

Morales called Messi completing his training workout “super positive” and added, “I imagine he’ll be in the squad at least.”

The Miami-Orlando winner will face the winner of Wednesday’s other semi-final between the reigning MLS champion Los Angeles Galaxy and Seattle Sounders in Sunday’s title game of the event, which included MLS and Mexican league clubs.

Messi, 38, sparked Miami to the 2023 Leagues Cup crown in his early days in South Florida.

But Lionel Messi missed Miami’s quarter-final victory a week ago over Tigres with a “minor” right leg muscle injury and did not play Saturday in Miami’s MLS draw at DC United.

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Alba suffered a knee injury and departed in the second half against Tigres, but both he and Messi handled practice with teammates on Monday and Tuesday.

Lionel Messi last played for the Herons in a reserve role against the Galaxy on August 16, scoring one goal and setting up another in Miami’s triumph.

“Whether Messi is or is not playing, I feel like we’ll have the same mentality — just to go out there and be the best and try and win,” Orlando back Alex Freeman said.

One guaranteed absentee for the Orlando-Miami showdown is Inter head coach Javier Mascherano, who was issued a red card in the Tigres match.

Orlando have won both matches against Inter Miami this season by a combined 7-1 margin, including a 4-1 rout earlier this month.

“We know there’s a different setting prior to this match,” Orlando coach Oscar Pareja said. “But we have the same energy, the same strength, the same desire that has always characterized us in previous derbies.”

Morales said: “It’s probably the most important clasico that we’re going to play so far.”

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Reserve Lionel Messi scores in Miami win while Son gets first MLS win

Lionel Messi returned from injury as a reserve and scored in the 84th minute to spark Inter Miami over the defending MLS champion Los Angeles Galaxy 3-1 on Saturday.

The iconic 38-year-old Argentine striker was back on the field for Miami after suffering what Inter coach Javier Mascherano had called a “minor muscle injury” — an apparent hamstring strain — in Inter’s August 2 Leagues Cup victory over Mexican side Necaxa.

“It had been something very small,” Mascherano said of his injury after the match. “The three training sessions we had were good. The important thing is that the match ended. As the minutes went by, I saw him better. We have to see how he feels tomorrow.”

Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, who missed a Leagues Cup win over Pumas UNAM and last weekend’s MLS loss at Orlando City, was on the bench as a reserve before entering in the second half, replacing Telasco Segovia.

“We had planned the match to give minutes to Leo. The idea was to give him 45 minutes so that he can find sensations,” Mascherano said. “I didn’t see him after the game. Tomorrow we’ll see what feelings he had.

“He’s an extraordinary player. I saw that he was clearly not 100 percent comfortable but as the minutes went by he was loosening up more and more. We will have to see how he ended with the fatigue.”

Jordi Alba scored for Miami in the 43rd minute but Joseph Paintsil equalized for the Galaxy in the 59th minute.

Lionel Messi scored in the 84th and Luis Suarez added an insurance tally in the 89th off an assist from Messi to produce the final victory margin.

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Messi, the reigning MLS Most Valuable Player, has 19 goals and 10 assists in 19 MLS appearances for Miami this season.

He also has the Herons into the quarter-finals of the Leagues Cup, which they won in 2023 just after Messi’s arrival. Miami will play Tigres in a Cup quarter-final on Wednesday.

“He wants to play every single game,” Mascherano said. “You have to understand why Leo is Leo. He always wants to be on the pitch. He’s happy there. Sometimes we try to explain him that we have to go slowly but when he feels good he knows himself like no one. In the end we tried to give him some minutes today to start having good feelings for Wednesday.”

Inter Miami rank fourth in the MLS Eastern Conference, six points behind MLS leaders Philadelphia but with three matches in hand.

South Korean international and former Tottenham Hotspur striker Son Heung-min picked up his first MLS victory in his first MLS start as LAFC won 2-0 at New England.

Son, who helped LAFC take a draw in Chicago last week as a reserve in his league debut, assisted on the LAFC win-clinching goal by Mathieu Choiniere in the fourth minute of second half stoppage time.

Marco Delgado scored LAFC’s first goal in the 51st minute.

LAFC rank fifth in the Western Conference, nine points adrift of pace-setting San Diego with two matches in hand.

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Lionel Messi expected to return for Inter Miami against Los Angeles Galaxy

Lionel Messi is ready to return for Inter Miami when they host the Los Angeles Galaxy in a Major League Soccer clash that will launch a key stretch for the Florida club, coach Javier Mascherano said Friday.

Following Saturday’s Galaxy match, Miami plays Mexican club Tigres UANL on Wednesday in the Leagues Cup quarter-finals.

“Leo is doing well,” Mascherano told reporters on Friday before training. “He has been training with the team since Wednesday. Unless something strange happens during today’s training session, we think he’ll be available for tomorrow’s game.”

Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi suffered a “minor muscle injury,” apparently a hamstring strain, in the 11th minute of Inter’s August 2 Leagues Cup match against Necaxa.

The 38-year-old Argentine superstar returns as the Herons vie to bounce back from a humbling 4-1 loss to Orlando City last weekend.

Inter have slipped to sixth in the MLS Eastern Conference with 42 points — nine behind leaders Philadelphia but with three matches in hand.

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Lionel Messi, the reigning MLS Most Valuable Player, leads the Golden Boot race with 18 goals and nine assists in 18 games.

Inter Miami will be favored at home against the Los Angeles Galaxy, who are the defending MLS Cup champions but have sunk to last place with the league’s worst record.

The Galaxy, however, did qualify for the Leagues Cup quarter-finals, and Mascherano cautioned that Miami can’t afford to take them lightly.

“For me, they’re a team in which the MLS standings don’t reflect their quality, especially the quality of their players,” Mascherano said.

“The reality is that maybe they didn’t start the season well because of injuries and different situations. But they’ve improved a lot over the last few months.”

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Lionel Messi to miss Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup match against Pumas UNAM

Inter Miami striker Lionel Messi will miss the crucial Leagues Cup match against Pumas UNAM due to a muscle issue, coach Javier Mascherano said on Tuesday.

The Argentinian striker suffered what Mascherano called a “minor muscle injury” in his upper right leg in Miami’s win over Necaxa last Saturday.

While there is no timetable for Messi’s return, Mascherano was hopeful the star would soon be back on the field.

“Within the bad news, it’s good news,” Mascherano told reporters.

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“He usually recovers very well from injuries and, above all, normally does with speed, so we will see. But clearly, for tomorrow, he is unavailable. But then we will see how he feels, how he progresses.”

Lionel Messi, who has a league-best 18 goals in Major League Soccer (MLS) matches this season, led Miami to the Leagues Cup crown in 2023 shortly after his arrival at the Herons.

Inter Miami likely need a victory over Pumas in their group stage finale to reach the quarter-finals of the Leagues Cup, which features MLS and Mexican league squads.

Should Miami reach the knockout stages, Messi would have two weeks to recover before the quarter-finals. Miami’s next MLS match is set for Sunday against Orlando.

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Lionel Messi exits early with injury in Miami’s Leagues Cup win

Lionel Messi suffered an injury and was removed in the 11th minute of Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup penalty kicks victory over Mexico’s Necaxa on Saturday at Fort Lauderdale’s Chase Stadium.

The 38-year-old Argentine superstar forward appeared to be having treatment on his upper right leg or groin before making his exit under his own power and walking to the locker room.

But after a 5-4 triumph in penalties after a 2-2 draw, Miami coach Javier Mascherano said it would be Sunday before the exact details of the injury and the severity of the setback would be known.

“Well, he felt discomfort, and we will not be able to know until tomorrow how severe the injury is,” Mascherano said after the match.

“There’s probably something there. Maybe not as important, because he was really not in pain. But he did feel a pull.”

Messi took the ball and dribbled into the Necaxa back line, but he stumbled at the top of the box and ran into Necaxa defender Alexis Pena then tumbled to the ground, pounding the pitch in frustration as the ball was cleared away.

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Moments later, Herons’s captain Messi was alone near midfield on the left wing by himself when he went to the ground in a seated position, lying on his back briefly until trainers arrived.

Mascherano elected to send in Federico Redondo to replace Messi.

Inter Miami won 5-4 on penalties after the 10-man teams played to a 2-2 draw after full time.

Argentine striker Tomas Badaloni was denied on the decisive penalty kick in the third round of the shootout while Rodrigo De Paul, Ben Cremaschi, Jordi Alba, Redondo, and Luis Suarez hit penalties for Miami, Uruguayan striker Suarez getting the decider on the last kick.

Inter Miami Venezuelan midfielder Telasco Segovia scored in the 12th minute, but Herons defender Maximiliano Falcon of Uruguay was shown a red card in the 17th minute.

Badaloni netted the equalizer for Necaxa in the 33rd minute to lift the visitors level at half-time, and Necaxa was cut to 10 men as well when Cristian Calderon received a red card in the 60th minute.

Ricardo Monreal, who came off the Necaxa bench in the 74th minute, scored in the 81st to put the Mexican side ahead only for Spain’s Alba to net the equalizer for Miami in the second minute of stoppage time.

During Argentine World Cup qualifiers in March, Messi was nagged by thigh strain issues.

Messi has scored 18 goals and assisted on nine others in 18 MLS appearances this season.

He assisted on both Inter Miami goals in a 2-1 victory over Atlas on Wednesday in their opener in the Leagues Cup, a tournament involving MLS and Mexican League squads.

Miami concludes group stage play in the event on Wednesday against Pumas.

Messi led Inter Miami to the inaugural Leagues Cup crown in 2023 just after his arrival with the MLS club.

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Messi-less Miami held to draw by Cincinnati in MLS

An Inter Miami team missing the suspended Lionel Messi missed the chance to gain ground on Eastern Conference leaders FC Cincinnati after being held to a 0-0 draw in Major League Soccer on Saturday.

Messi and teammate Jordi Alba were both barred from playing the home game against Cincinnati after controversially withdrawing from this week’s MLS All-Star Game in Texas.

That meant Lionel Messi and Alba could only watch on from the sidelines in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday as Inter were frustrated by a well-organised Cincinnati team.

Miami were given a huge let off in the dying seconds of stoppage time, when Cincinnati defender Miles Robinson had a goal ruled out after harshly being adjudged to have fouled Inter’s Noah Allen as he leapt for a header.

The result leaves Miami seven points adrift of Cincinnati in the Eastern Conference standings.

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Miami, meanwhile, used the pre-game festivities to formally unveil new star signing Rodrigo De Paul, Messi’s World Cup-winning Argentina team-mate.

The 31-year-old midfielder, who joins the club from Spain’s Atletico Madrid, is expected to make his debut during Miami’s upcoming Leagues Cup campaign.

“What brings me to Inter Miami is the desire to compete, win titles, to write the pages in the club’s history,” De Paul said after his transfer was announced by the club late Friday.

“It’s a club that is shaping up to be great, to have a long history, so that many people follow this incredible team.”

Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham said De Paul’s signing would bring “experience, passion and quality” to the Herons.

“Rodrigo is a player I’ve admired for many years,” Beckham said. “As a leader, he has brought so much to the teams he has played for — especially with his national team Argentina.

“I’m excited to welcome another World Cup-winning player not just to Inter Miami, but also to MLS.”

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MLS chief tight-lipped on Lionel Messi ban after All-Star no-show

Major League Soccer (MLS) commissioner Don Garber refused to be drawn on whether the league planned to sanction Lionel Messi after the Inter Miami and Argentina superstar was a late withdrawal from Wednesday’s All-Star game.

Messi and Miami teammate Jordi Alba had both been due to start in Wednesday’s showpiece in Austin, where a combined MLS XI defeated a team representing Mexico’s Liga-MX 3-1.

However, news broke early Wednesday that Miami had informed MLS neither player would feature in the game, for reasons that were not immediately clear.

The 11th-hour snub has left Messi and Alba facing a one-game suspension from MLS. Under league rules, players selected for the All-Star game must participate unless they have a valid reason, such as an injury, not to do so.

Garber, however, was tight-lipped about a possible sanction for Messi following his controversial no-show, declining to say whether the league would proceed with issuing a ban against its biggest star, who could now miss Miami’s game against FC Cincinnati this weekend.

“Anything that’s going to happen as relates to next weekend, we’re not going to talk about today,” Garber told reporters ahead of Wednesday’s match.

“The game is not until this coming weekend, and we don’t need to answer that. We’re managing through this process as we speak.”

While Messi, 38, showed no sign of injury while scoring twice in Miami’s win over the New York Red Bulls last weekend, Garber did note that the Argentinian star has recently completed a punishing schedule of games.

Lionel Messi has played nine games in 35 days, four in the Club World Cup and five in domestic competitions, and played 90 minutes in each game.

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“Miami’s had a schedule that is unlike any other team,” Garber said. “Most of our teams had a 10-day break. Miami hasn’t. So we have to manage through that as a league.”

“At the same time, we do have rules. And we have to manage that as well. So we would have loved to have Leo here and to have every player that was selected here.”

Garber said the league should have been made aware earlier that Lionel Messi planned to skip Wednesday’s game.

“We should have known earlier,” Garber added. “We should have addressed it earlier. No doubt about that.”

Messi and Alba’s participation in the All-Star game had been under a cloud after Miami coach Javier Mascherano indicated at the weekend he wanted Messi and Alba to rest.

“The players are called up. I’d prefer they rest, but it’s not my decision,” Mascherano said.

“I know how important the All-Star Game is, and as far as I know, there’s no decision from the club — everything continues as normal.”

Lionel Messi joined MLS in 2023, just months after leading Argentina to victory in the 2022 World Cup.

The eight-time Ballon D’Or winner has had a transformative impact on the league since his arrival, boosting the global profile of MLS and sending ticket sales skyrocketing.

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Lamine Yamal to wear Lionel Messi’s iconic number 10 jersey at Barcelona

Young Barcelona star Lamine Yamal inherited the club’s iconic number 10 shirt, previously worn by all-time great Lionel Messi, on Wednesday.

“Messi made his path and I will make mine,” Yamal told reporters at an event at the club shop at the Spotify Camp Nou stadium.

“I will work as hard as I can, give everything, and try to make those Barca fans who are there happy and those who are at home.”

The 18-year-old winger, often compared to the Argentine superstar who also came through the club’s La Masia youth academy, helped the Catalan giants win a domestic treble last season.

He signed a new contract with Barcelona until 2031 in May, becoming one of the best-paid players at the club.

“I hope to enjoy myself more than last year and make my dreams come true,” continued Yamal, who said he wanted to win the Champions League with the Catalan giants, and also the World Cup with Spain.

Lamine Yamal has scored 25 goals for the club in over 100 appearances, making his debut in 2023 at the age of 15 wearing the number 41 shirt.

“Barca is my life, I’ve been here since I was seven, for all kids from La Masia, their dream is to make it to the first team, and I’m doing it and I have to keep working,” said Yamal.

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“When I was little, I dreamed of being at Barca and having this number.”

After a season wearing the 27, last summer Yamal followed in Messi’s footsteps by taking the number 19, which the Argentine wore at the club between 2005 and 2008.

Ansu Fati inherited Messi’s number 10 shirt in 2021, when the legendary Argentinian left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

Beset by a series of injuries, Fati was unable to fulfill his potential at Barca and signed on loan for Monaco earlier in July.

Other star names, including Diego Maradona, Ronaldinho, and Rivaldo, have worn the Barcelona number 10 shirt in the past.

“(Messi, Maradona, Ronaldinho) are three legends of football, three legends of this club,” said Yamal.

“I am grateful for what they gave the club, and I will try to continue this legacy.”

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Lionel Messi to face PSG after Inter Miami, Palmeiras end in stalemate

Lionel Messi faces a reunion with his former club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) after his Inter Miami side reached the last 16 of the Club World Cup with a 2-2 draw with Palmeiras.

The Brazilian side fought back from two goals down to draw at Hard Rock Stadium, a result which secured both teams a place in the knock-out stages.

Goals from Tadeo Allende and Luis Suarez had Miami on course for a second surprise victory in the tournament after their win over Porto.

But the Brazilian side struck twice in the last 10 minutes through Paulinho and Mauricio to make sure of their place in the next round.

Few expected Miami to make it out of the group, but they now face the European champions while Palmeiras will have an all-Brazilian encounter with Botafogo.

For Messi, who celebrates his 38th birthday on Tuesday, the tie in Atlanta will see him face his former club PSG for the first time since leaving them to join Inter Miami in 2023.

“It’s a historic night for the MLS because we are into the best 16 teams in the world, and all the MLS have to be proud of Inter Miami,” said Miami coach Javier Mascherano.

The result meant that Egyptian club Al Ahly and Porto were both eliminated despite producing a highly entertaining 4-4 draw at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

There were six Argentines in the Miami starting line-up, which took the field in front of a large Brazilian contingent in the 60,914 crowd.

The travelling fans were on their feet in the opening minutes when Gustavo Gomez powered a header goalwards from a corner, but Oscar Ustari was down well to save.

Inter Miami grabbed the lead in the 16th minute when Suarez brilliantly chested a long ball into the path of the on-rushing Allende, who showed pace to break clear of the Brazilian defence and then composure to fire past Weverton.

Palmeiras’s tactics of sitting off Miami were not working with Messi dropping deep and linking up with Sergio Busquets and Federico Redondo as the Major League Soccer side enjoyed plenty of possession.

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The only chance for Palmeiras before the break came when Facundo Torres found himself in a promising position after some sloppy Miami defending but he screwed his shot wide.

Messi’s first real effort on goal came four minutes after the restart when he eked out just enough room on the edge of the box for a low shot but Weverton was down well.

Allende threatened again when he broke down the right and flashed a shot just wide of the post and Messi drove a bouncing ball narrowly over the bar as Miami pushed for a second goal.

That came in the 65th minute with the 38-year-old former Barcelona striker Suarez rolling back the years as he dribbled past two defenders and then blasted into the top corner.

Top spot in the group mattered to Inter Miami as it would have avoided the clash with PSG, but it was not to be as Palmeiras earned themselves a crucial point with their late revival.

Substitute Paulinho fired home in the 80th minute after a lovely reverse pass from Allan Andrade.

Then, with three minutes left on the clock, Maxi Falcon’s header fell straight to Mauricio, who pounced on the opportunity, rifling into the far corner to make it 2-2.

“It was a great game from us, it’s difficult to play against one of the best teams in South America,” said Mascherano.

“Maybe at the end we had the game in our hands, so the feeling is strange, but before the start of the tournament, if someone told me we were going to have this kind of performance against these kind of teams, I would have signed for it.”

Abel Ferreira, the Palmeiras head coach, was highly critical of his team’s opening 45 minutes but pleased with their reaction.

“I told them at half-time that it was impossible to do worse than what we did in the first half. We were unable to contain our opponents or put pressure on them up front. But our spirit of fighting until the end was particularly important in the second half, and we were rewarded for that,” he said.

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