Will Messi play Inter Miami vs. Tigres Leagues Cup quarterfinal? What we know
Lionel Messi, who returned from a hamstring injury to lead Inter Miami to victory against the Los Angeles Galaxy last weekend, did not train with the rest of the team Tuesday morning. His status for Wednesday’s Leagues Cup quarterfinal against Mexican club Tigres is up in the air, according to coach Javier Mascherano.
Messi showed signs of discomfort during the Galaxy game, grabbing his leg on a few occasions, but he managed to score a goal in the 84th minute, provided a brilliant assist to Luis Suarez five minutes later, and he completed the game. He rushed off the field after the match.
Mascherano said Messi trained on his own Tuesday, his availability for Wednesday’s game will depend on how he feels on game day, but he has not been ruled out.
Asked about Messi’s condition after the game, Mascherano said: “Leo wants to play every single game. He wanted to play in Orlando, also. It was impossible. It’s like this. You have to understand why Leo is Leo. He always wants to be on the pitch. He’s happy there. Sometimes we try to explain to him to go slowly, but at the end, when he feels good, he knows himself like no one, so we tried to give him minutes to get him ready for the next games.”
Although Miami has proven it can win without the Argentine icon, his absence against a Mexican heavyweight like Tigres would be significant.
Both teams were favored to make a deep run in the Leagues Cup and have been in good form during the tournament.
Inter Miami beat Atlas and Pumas and earned two points against Necaxa with a penalty shootout win in the group phase to advance to the quarterfinals. Tigres beat the Houston Dynamo and San Diego FC and lost to LAFC 2-1.
Tigres got stronger this summer with the addition of Argentine attacker Angel Correa, who was a teammate of Messi’s and Rodrigo De Paul’s on the World Cup championship team. Correa and De Paul began this season as teammates with Atletico Madrid and both made summer moves. He also played alongside Inter Miami star Luis Suarez when he was at Atletico Madrid.
Correa scored twice in a 4-1 win over Houston and scored another pair of goals in the 2-1 win over San Diego. He also scored in Tigres’ 7-0 Liga MX victory over Puebla.
“Angel was a key signing for Tigres and a player who can make a big difference,” Mascherano said. “He moves very well, is capable of hurting you, and we will do our best to neutralize him.”
“He’s a guy who is really good and showed up humble, ready to add to the group, made himself available,” said Tigres coach Guido Pizarro. “We’re lucky to have him and hopefully we can keep enjoying him.”
Correa smiled on Tuesday when asked what he thinks it will feel like to face so many familiar faces on Wednesday: “I am going to be facing great friends and former teammates, and it will be nice to say hello to them, but you can be sure than they will be motivated to win the game, just as we will.”
Wednesday’s game will have heavy Argentine influence, as nine Miami players and four Tigres players are from Argentina. Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari joked Tuesday morning that there would be a cup of mate in the center of the Chase Stadium field at the start of the match instead of a ball.
In addition to Messi, De Paul and Ustari, Miami’s roster includes Argentineans Marcelo Weigandt, Gonzalo Lujan, Baltasar Rodriguez, Tadeo Allende, Rocco Rios Novo, Toto Aviles. Correa joined a Tigres team that includes countrymen Nahuel Guzman, Juan Brunetta and Nicolas Ibanez. Both coaches, Pizarro and Mascherano, are natives of Argentina.
Mascherano expects a tough matchup against the Mexican team.
“They have a lot of very good attackers, with practically four forwards,” Mascherano said. “Angel, whom we know well, can play up top along with wingers who are very dangerous. It is a team that if you allow them to have possession of the ball, they will make it difficult for you. We must try to manage to pace of the game, be protagonists and maintain possession.”
How to watch Inter Miami vs. Tigres Leagues Cup match
The game kicks off at 8 p.m. and will be shown on Apple TV MLS Season Pass and on FS1.
Details on Drake Callender trade to Charlotte FC
Inter Miami announced Tuesday that it acquired $400,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money (GAM) and $350,000 in 2026 GAM for goalkeeper Drake Callender in a trade with Charlotte FC. Inter Miami could also receive $75,000 in conditional GAM, and will retain a sell-on percentage in the event of a future permanent trade or transfer of the goalkeeper.
The MLS transfer window closes at the end of this week, and Mascherano said Miami is in negotiations to add two players. He confirmed reports that the club is in serious talks with Argentine defender Gonzalo Piovi, who plays in Mexico for Cruz Azul. An unnamed offensive player could also sign. Mascherano stressed that the club is looking only to add a few reinforcements and has not plans to trade away any players on the current roster. “I want to finish the season with the players we have, and if we can, add a few.”
This story was originally published August 19, 2025 at 10:49 AM.