Inter Miami provide major update on Lionel Messi's leg injury

Inter Miami on Sunday announced that Lionel Messi’s right leg injury is minor, but his return date is uncertain.

Messi sustained a 'minor' muscle injury during Miami's Leagues Cup match against Necaxa on Saturday in Fort Lauderdale in the 11th minute when he collided with two opponents.

Following Messi’s medical tests, the team issued a statement on Sunday in which they stated that the injury is ‘minor’ but his clearance will depend on his clinical progress.

"Messi underwent medical tests to evaluate the extent of the muscle discomfort he experienced during last night's Leagues Cup match against Necaxa, which forced him to leave the field," the club said in a news release.

"The results confirmed a minor muscle injury in his right leg. His medical clearance will depend on his clinical progress and response to treatment."

In Lionel Messi’s absence, Inter Miami managed a 2-2 draw at full time, then went on to win the match 5-4 on a penalty shootout.

So far, after playing two Leagues Cup matches, Miami sits in second position with five points in the MLS standings, with one regulation win and one on penalty shootout.

The top four MLS clubs of the 18 will advance to the quarterfinals, where they will be accompanied by the top four of the tournament's 18 Liga MX clubs.

Miami will play the last group stage match on Wednesday at Pumas UNAM, and will resume MLS regular-season action on August 10 at Orlando City.

Messi has dealt with numerous hamstring injuries throughout his career and missed a lot of action due to them. The most recent issue was with his left adductor, which sidelined him for a pair of Argentina's World Cup qualifiers earlier this year.

The 37-year-old had played 30 games across all competitions for Inter Miami in 2025 and also contributed 18 goals and nine assists in MLS alone.