Messi, Antonela gets special Chris Martin serenade at Coldplay concert
Soccer star Lionel Messi and his wife Antonela Roccuzzo attend the Miami Coldplay concert, which included a special tribute by Chris Martin.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – Lionel Messi will not play as Inter Miami hosts Tigres UANL in a Leagues Cup quarterfinal match at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Aug. 20.
Messi, who is dealing with a nagging right hamstring injury, stepped off the team bus before the match in street clothes while his Inter Miami teammates were dressed in team apparel. Messi’s lack of availability was confirmed when Inter Miami announced its starting lineup before the match.
Messi was first injured during a Leagues Cup match on Aug. 2 and appeared to reaggravate the injury in an Aug. 16 MLS match against the Los Angeles Galaxy. Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano did not rule out Messi one day prior when he said Messi trained separately from teammates before the Leagues Cup quarterfinal.
If Inter Miami plans to advance in the Leagues Cup, they’ll have to depend on other stars like Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Rodrigo De Paul against Tigres.
The stakes are high in this one: Only eight teams remain in the Leagues Cup tournament, and four will advance to the semifinals after Wednesday’s action. Messi and Inter Miami won the first Leagues Cup in 2023.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Inter Miami-Tigres match:
Watch Leagues Cup matches on MLS Season Pass
Inter Miami is being led by assistant coach Leandro Stillitano, after coach Javier Mascherano was shown a red card at halftime for arguing with the referees. Mascherano appeared to contest the referee’s decision to play longer than four minutes of stoppage time at the end of the first half.
Inter Miami left-back Jordi Alba tried to play through a right leg injury, but came off shortly after the second half began. Alba appeared to collide with another player in the final minutes of the first half, and Inter Miami was able to finish the half with him on the sidelines.
Luis Suarez has scored in the 23rd minute, converting on a penalty kick to help Inter Miami take a 1-0 lead against Tigres. The penalty was granted after Tigres defender Javier Aquino was called for a handball while defending Inter Miami’s Jordi Alba in the 20th minute.
No, Messi will not play tonight.
Messi was not listed as a starter or substitute in Inter Miami’s lineup for the match against Tigres.
The match is Aug. 20 at 8 p.m. ET (9 p.m. in Argentina).
The match will be available on FS1 in English, and UniMás in Spanish.
The match will be available to live stream on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV, and the Apple TV+ channel.
- Orlando City vs. Toluca,9 p.m. ET (MLS Season Pass and Apple TV+)
- Seattle Sounders vs. Puebla, 11 p.m. ET (FS1 and UniMás on TV in the U.S.; MLS Season Pass and Apple TV+)
- L.A. Galaxy vs. Pachuca, 11:45 p.m. ET (MLS Season Pass and Apple TV+)
Inter Miami is a slight favorite at home during regulation, according to BETMGM.
- Inter Miami: +115
- Tie: +240
- Tigres: +165
- Over/under: 3.5 goals
Messi was called up by Argentina to play in the final two World Cup qualifying matches in September. The first match could be Messi’s last match in his home country, with no future matches scheduled by the national team at this time.
Argentina will host Venezuela on Sept. 4 at Mâs Monumental in Buenos Aires, then visit Ecuador on Sept. 9.
Argentina, the defending World Cup champions, has already qualified for the 2026 World Cup to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. Messi, 38, has not yet declared he will play in the World Cup.
Messi upcoming schedule with Inter Miami, Argentina
- Aug. 23: D.C. United vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m. ET (MLS regular season)
- Aug. 26 or 27: Leagues Cup semifinals (if applicable)
- Aug. 30: Inter Miami vs. Chicago Fire, 7:30 p.m. ET (MLS regular season)
- Aug. 31: Leagues Cup final and third-place match (if applicable)
- Sept. 4: Argentina vs. Venezuela (World Cup qualifying)
- Sept. 9: Ecuador vs. Argentina (World Cup qualifying)
- Sept. 13: Charlotte FC vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m. (MLS regular season)
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