Messi Leaves the Field in the 38th Minute of the Miami vs. Toronto Match Due to Injury
The Argentine star Lionel Messi was absent from his team Inter Miami’s training sessions before the final of the Open America Cup football tournament against Houston Dynamo on Wednesday, raising doubts about his return to the field due to an undisclosed injury.
Miami is seeking to secure their second consecutive title since Messi joined the team this summer from Paris Saint-Germain. They recently won the tournaments dedicated to American and Mexican clubs last month.
Messi, who was crowned the champion of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, was absent from the draw against Orlando City with a score of 1-1 on Sunday. His compatriot and Inter coach, Gerardo Martino, confirmed that his condition would be evaluated “on a daily basis.”
It is still unclear whether the 7-time Ballon d’Or winner is simply suffering from fatigue due to the intensity of matches since joining the club in July, or if he has a chronic injury.
Martino added to the mystery surrounding Messi’s future by referring to “old scars” that hindered the former Barcelona star without mentioning any specific injury.
Alongside Messi, his former Barcelona teammate Jordi Alba also missed the training session.
Martino confirmed Alba’s absence but kept doubts about Messi during an interview with the media on Tuesday, saying, “Jordi, I don’t think so, it’s difficult, but we will wait until tomorrow (Wednesday), we will wait until the last moment to make a decision.”
The former Barcelona coach emphasized that if Messi participates, it would be exclusively in the final match. He stated, “If it’s one of the 34 league matches, we won’t risk it… It’s logical to wait. If it’s any other type of match, I don’t think we will take that kind of risk.”
Messi was also substituted during Argentina’s World Cup 2026 qualifying match against Ecuador due to injury.
Messi: Argentina’s World Cup qualifying match
Messi is currently suffering since being substituted in the 88th minute during Argentina’s World Cup qualifying match. He scored the only goal from a direct free kick in their victory over Ecuador on September 7.
He was absent from the World Cup champions’ 3-0 victory against Bolivia five days later in the second round of qualifiers before returning to his club after the international break. He did not participate in Miami’s 5-2 loss to Atlanta in the league on the 16th of this month, as Martino stated that he was suffering from muscular fatigue.
Despite starting in Miami’s home match against Toronto, Messi requested to be substituted in the 38th minute.
After the cup final, Miami has five remaining matches in the American league season as they seek to qualify for the playoffs. They will host New York City FC on Saturday, who currently occupies the ninth and final playoff spot, leading Miami by five points.