Doug McIntyre
Soccer Journalist
Lionel Messi limped out of Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup match towards Mexican membership Necaxa after simply 10 minutes on Saturday with an obvious leg damage.
Messi was despatched tumbling to the turf 4 minutes earlier, when he was concerned in a collision with Necaxa defender Alexis Pena on the high of the guests’ penalty space at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
The dwelling legend, who celebrated his thirty eighth birthday final month, tried to proceed. Messi wanted to be handled by Miami’s coaching employees on the pitch earlier than strolling slowly to the sideline after which to the Herons’ dressing room. He was changed by fellow Argentine Federico Redondo.
Jordi Alba had the tying purpose on a header that made it 2-2 within the second minute of stoppage time to power the shootout, which Inter Miami gained 5-4.
Inter Miami transformed all 5 of its penalty kicks, and goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo denied Tomás Badaloni within the third spherical of the shootout. Suárez hit the profitable shot into the highest left nook.
Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano stated after the match that Messi was not essentially in ache however felt a pull. He indicated that Messi will likely be examined on Sunday to find out the severity of the damage.
“There’s most likely one thing there,” Mascherano stated by way of an interpreter.
Miami opened the scoring seconds after Messi exited, with Herons newcomer Rodrigo De Paul — Messi’s teammate on Argentina’s 2022 World Cup-winning squad — organising Venezuelan attacker Talasco Segovia’s blast from exterior the field. It was De Paul’s first help for his new membership.
The evening quickly took one other incorrect flip for the hosts, although, as Inter defender Maximiliano Falcon was proven a straight purple card within the seventeenth minute. Necaxa would capitalize on their man benefit by equalizing earlier than the primary half was completed.
Inter Miami, the 2023 Leagues Cup champion, additionally gained its 2025 competitors opener 2-1 over Atlas final Wednesday. The Herons spherical out the primary part of the competitors, which incorporates 18 MLS representatives and all 18 groups from Liga MX on Aug. 6 towards UNAM Pumas.
Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports activities who has coated United States males’s and ladies’s nationwide groups at FIFA World Cups on 5 continents. Comply with him @ByDougMcIntyre.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
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