Fort Lauderdale (USA), Aug 3: Lionel Messi sustained a hamstring injury during Inter Miami's Leagues Cup penalty shootout victory over Club Necaxa, exiting the match in the 11th minute and heading straight to the locker room at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The incident occurred as Messi was dribbling into the box and collided with Necaxa’s Raúl Sánchez and Alexis Peña. He stumbled to the ground and, in clear frustration, slammed the pitch. Despite briefly trying to shake it off, he eventually called for medical attention and was unable to continue. Federico Redondo came on to replace him in the lineup.

"Leo felt a discomfort in his hamstring," Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano said after the game.

"We won't know the extent of the injury until tomorrow. He probably has something wrong. It might not be that serious because he wasn't in pain, but he did feel discomfort."

Throughout his career, Messi has struggled with recurring hamstring issues and has missed time in recent seasons due to a variety of leg-related injuries. Earlier this year, he was sidelined for two of Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers because of a left adductor problem.

Prior to Saturday night’s match, Messi had appeared in 30 matches for Inter Miami in 2025 across all competitions, including the Concacaf Champions Cup, Club World Cup, Leagues Cup and Major League Soccer regular season.

Messi, an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, has yet to find the net in this year's Leagues Cup. However, in MLS competition, he currently shares the league lead with 18 goals.

His recent stretch of consistent appearances marks a notable departure from his first two MLS seasons, during which injuries significantly limited his playing time. After appearing in all seven matches during Inter Miami’s victorious 2023 Leagues Cup campaign, Messi was hampered by minor injuries that restricted him to just six of the team’s final 12 regular-season games that year.

In 2024, he faced several setbacks, most notably a torn leg muscle sustained during the Copa America final with Argentina in July, which required a lengthy recovery period. Despite being limited to 19 games in his first full MLS season, Messi still delivered an impressive 20 goals and 16 assists, earning him the league’s 2024 MVP honours.

(IANS)

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