Injured Messi watches as Inter Miami battles Tigres in Leagues Cup quarterfinal

Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald on Aug 20, 2025

Published in Soccer

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Lionel Messi was in street clothes for Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup quarterfinal game against Mexican club Tigres on Wednesday night. He smiled from a suite as his close friend and teammate Luis Suarez blasted a penalty kick into the bottom right corner to put Miami ahead 1-0 in the 23rd minute.

Suarez looked toward the suites, pumped his right fist and celebrated with teammates.

Messi returned from a hamstring injury last weekend to provide late-game heroics in a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Galaxy, suffered a setback and did not train with the team the past few days. He was seen massaging his leg during the Galaxy game and he bolted from the field immediately after the final whistle.

Wednesday’s match was a showdown of high-profile MLS and Liga MX clubs, both with heavy Argentine influences. Both coaches, Miami’s Javier Mascherano and Tigres’ Guido Pizarro, are from Argentina. Nine players on Miami’s roster are from Argentina, and four from Tigres.

Inter beat Atlas and Pumas and earned two points against Necaxa with a penalty shootout win in the group phase to advance to the quarterfinals. Tigres beat the Houston Dynamo and San Diego FC and lost to LAFC, 2-1.

Tigres got stronger this summer with the addition of Argentine attacker Angel Correa, who was a teammate of Messi’s and Rodrigo De Paul’s on the World Cup championship team. Correa and De Paul began this season as teammates with Atletico Madrid and both made summer moves to North America.

Most of the fans at Chase Stadium were dressed in pink, but there was a spirited smattering and yellow and blue supporting the visiting team. Tigres fans, many of whom traveled from Monterrey, cheered in the parking lot when their team bus pulled up.

Miami’s starting lineup included: goalkeeper Oscar Ustari, right back Ian Fray, center back Gonzalo Lujan, center back Maxi Falcon, left back Jordi Alba, midfielder Yannick Bright, midfielder Sergio Busquets (captain), midfielder Tadeo Allende, midfielder De Paul, midfielder Telasco Segovia, and forward Suarez.

“This game can mark a before and after for our team’s mindset and where we are this year,” Suarez said. “We’re treating it like a final. If we face all these games like we faced the Club World Cup, I think we can win both Leagues Cup and MLS Cup. But it depends on us.”