Inter Miami take on Liga MX side Tigres UANL today in the 2025 Leagues Cup quarterfinals at Chase Stadium. However, Javier Mascherano’s men might have to secure a win without Lionel Messi, who won’t be available to play tonight.
The Argentine star was not seen during the portion of practice open to the media on Tuesday, Aug. 19, and Mascherano did not confirm his participation. “We’ll see how he feels during the day [Wednesday], but he’s not ruled out of playing. I can’t tell you today whether he’ll play or not because it depends a lot on how he feels,” Mascherano said at a press conference.
Messi has been dealing with a nagging right hamstring injury, which he appeared to aggravate in the MLS match against the Los Angeles Galaxy on August 16. Before his appearance in that match, Messi had been sidelined for two weeks.
Nevertheless, it was evident that he returned too soon. Messi participated in the second half of the match and, despite contributing a goal and setting up an assist for Luis Suarez in the 3-1 victory, he was frequently observed bending over and stretching his right leg.
Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF controls the ball during match against LA Galaxy (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Javier Mascherano decided to rule Messi out of tonight’s crucial game. In the knockout rounds, there are no draws allowed. If a match ends tied after regulation, the game goes straight to a penalty shootout.
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Miami looking for a semifinal spot
Inter Miami are eyeing a place in the semifinals, and they hold several significant advantages. Securing a win would not only guarantee them a home semifinal but would also keep them in a strong position as they currently sit second in the Leagues Cup standings. If Inter Miami continue their performance and reach the final, they stand a good chance of hosting it as well.
This upcoming match will mark only the second encounter between Inter Miami and Tigres. Their initial meeting took place in 2024 during the Leagues Cup, where Tigres emerged victorious with a 2-1 win against a Miami team that lacked Messi, who was unavailable due to an injury sustained in the Copa America final against Colombia.
