Messi and Miami begin tense race against time

Inter Miami faces two crucial matches in its bid to defend its Supporters’ Shield title—a trophy awarded to the team with the most points at the end of the regular season—and secure a spot in the semifinals of the 2025 Leagues Cup.

This year’s Leagues Cup features a new, more aggressive format, with Inter Miami advancing as one of the top four MLS teams in a competition that included 18 participants.

The team is coming off a 4–1 defeat to Orlando City in MLS play, where Luis Muriel scored twice and Martín Ojeda and Marco Pašalić completed the rout. In that match, Lionel Messi was rested and did not feature—just as he had been left out of the previous Leagues Cup clash against Pumas.

“Leo is fine, we are very optimistic”

That game sealed Javier Mascherano’s side a place in the quarterfinals, while Efraín Juárez’s Pumas were eliminated. Keylor Navas, suspended after a red card in the previous round, watched from the stands.

Since participating in the Club World Cup, Inter Miami has been juggling a congested MLS schedule, with the Leagues Cup looming on the horizon. On August 2, against Atlas, Messi suffered a muscle injury just 10 minutes into the match and had to be substituted. As a result, the captain and talisman has missed two key games.

There is good news: this morning, Messi was spotted training with his teammates, suggesting he is close to a return. Ahead of the Orlando match, Mascherano had said, “Leo is fine. Obviously, it would be crazy to risk him in Orlando because of everything we have coming up, but we are very optimistic he will be back with us soon.”

Next, Inter Miami visits the LA Galaxy, the reigning MLS champions, who currently sit at the bottom of the Western Conference with just 16 points. Whether Mascherano will give minutes to his captain remains to be seen, as the race for the Supporters’ Shield is tighter than ever.

After that, Las Garzas will host Tigres—featuring André-Pierre Gignac, Nahuel Guzmán, and new signing Ángel Correa—in a battle for a place in the 2025 Leagues Cup semifinals, a trophy they are eager to lift once again. With such high stakes, Messi is racing against the clock.