Lionel Messi’s night took an unfortunate turn early in Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup match against Necaxa on Saturday. Just minutes into the game, Messi suffered what appeared to be a hamstring injury, forcing him off the field much earlier than anyone hoped.
The incident happened around the eighth minute when Messi was challenged by two defenders near the penalty area. He went down hard, visibly frustrated, pounding his fist on the ground before slowly making his way toward the midfield. Eventually, he walked over to the Inter Miami bench, sat on the pitch, and received treatment on his right upper thigh. After a few minutes, he was substituted out for Federico Redondo and headed straight to the locker room.
Coach Javier Mascherano shared an update after the match, which Inter Miami won in a tense penalty shootout. He explained that Messi felt a “pull” but wasn’t in sharp pain at the moment. “We won’t know the full extent of the injury until the tests tomorrow,” Mascherano said. “There’s probably something there.”
Messi’s injury is concerning given his history with hamstring problems and other leg issues in recent years. Just earlier this year, he missed some important World Cup qualifiers for Argentina because of a left adductor injury. With the next Leagues Cup game against Pumas UNAM coming up on Wednesday, Messi’s availability is now uncertain.
Mascherano, who’s been carefully managing Messi’s workload this season, noted that the 38-year-old star is often willing to push through fatigue, sometimes even when rest would be better. Messi even skipped the MLS All-Star game last month due to tiredness, which led to a one-match suspension for missing the exhibition.
“He’s someone who would rather be on the field than resting,” Mascherano said. “We have to talk with him, figure out what his body is telling him, and make sure we don’t push too far. Leo is a special case — sometimes resting makes him feel worse. If there’s a real risk, we make sure to have that conversation.”
For now, fans and the team alike are hoping for the best as Messi awaits the test results and a clearer picture of how long he might be sidelined.
