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While dealing with the sudden absence of team star and captain Lionel Messi, Inter Miami are on the verge of being eliminated from the 2026 Leagues Cup. Inter Miami find themselves on thin ice following a 2-1 loss to CF Monterrey in the 2026 Leagues Cup group stage. With star captain Lionel Messi absent and only one match remaining on the schedule, the Herons are teetering on the brink of an early exit from the international tournament. The Herons initially kicked off their campaign on the right foot with a 4-2 victory over Atletico San Luis. However, ahead of their Matchday 2 clash against Rayados, Messi received the heartbreaking news of his father’s passing and was granted compassionate leave to fly to Argentina. The loss deeply affected the squad, which held a moment of silence prior to Saturday’s kickoff. With Messi in South America and Luis Suarez, German Berterame, Mateo Silvetti, and Tadeo Allende all sidelined, Miami’s attacking depth was severely depleted. Young prospect Daniel Pinter shared frontline duties with Lovens Delinois, the Haitian forward called up from Inter Miami II to make his senior debut. Rodrigo De Paul put the Herons ahead with a brilliant long-range strike in the 32nd minute, removing his match shirt to reveal Messi’s jersey underneath in a poignant tribute to his close friend and teammate. However, Hugo Cuypers netted the equalizer in the 47th minute, and Diego Rossi delivered a crushing blow with the game-winner in the 90th minute, leaving Inter Miami empty-handed at Nu Stadium. Rodrigo De Paul of Inter Miami CF dedicates his goal to Lionel Messi. (Leonardo Fernandez/Getty Images) Now, only one group stage match remains, set for Wednesday, August 12, at Nu Stadium against a formidable Club Leon side that won both of its opening fixtures against Nashville SC (1-0) and Orlando City (2-1). Facing a must-win situation with a depleted frontline, Inter Miami risk missing the knockout phase for the first time since Messi’s landmark arrival in South Florida. What do Inter Miami need to avoid early elimination? Under the expanded Leagues Cup format introduced for the 2025 tournament, only the top four clubs from the MLS table and top four from Liga MX advance to the quarterfinals. Cross-league matchups are determined by table standing, but to secure one of those coveted qualification spots, Inter Miami no longer control their own destiny. Inter Miami currently occupy 11th place in the MLS Leagues Cup standings with three points, five goals scored, and four conceded, trailing ten clubs in the table. The top six sides, Charlotte FC, Austin FC, FC Cincinnati, Chicago Fire, Columbus Crew, and FC Dallas, have swept their first two matches with a goal differential of at least +2 (+5 for leaders Charlotte and Austin), meaning Miami needs multiple top teams to lose badly while the Herons secure a blowout win over Leon. Seventh-place LAFC sit on five points with a +1 goal differential, meaning Miami needs the Black and Gold to drop points or lose a potential penalty shootout following a draw. Meanwhile, Real Salt Lake occupy eighth with four points, while Portland Timbers (9th) and Nashville SC (10th) remain tied with Miami on three points, making the Herons’ path to qualification mathematically possible, but statistically improbable.
Inter Miami face Monterrey in the 2026 Leagues Cup, where Lionel Messi is not expected to be present at Nu Stadium for this clash. Lionel Messi is not expected to be part of Inter Miami’s squad for Saturday’s Leagues Cup clash against Monterrey, following the passing of his father, Jorge Messi. While the club has yet to issue an official confirmation, all signs point to the captain sitting out as he will travel to Argentina. Jorge Messi passed away Friday at a clinic in Rosario at the age of 68, after battling a long illness. He was not only Lionel’s father but also his longtime agent, playing a central role in shaping his career from his early days at Newell’s Old Boys through his moves to Barcelona, PSG and Inter Miami. His return to the pitch remains uncertain. Three upcoming matches have been floated as possible comeback points: Wednesday’s clash with Club Leon on August 12, which appears unlikely given the short turnaround, and Saturday’s MLS match against Nashville SC on August 15. The August 19 meeting with Philadelphia Union, meanwhile, is widely seen as the most realistic option, allowing him more time with his family before returning to full training. Lionel Messi of Inter Miami. (Getty Images) Miami enters the match off the back of a 4-2 comeback win over Atletico San Luis in their Leagues Cup opener, a game in which Messi scored a brace. Without their captain, head coach Guillermo Hoyos is expected to hand the armband to Noah Allen as Inter Miami looks to build on that result against a Monterrey side chasing their first points of the tournament. Inter Miami’s projected lineup With Messi absent, and Luis Suarez still unavailable due to his ongoing suspension, Hoyos is expected to lean on the same core group that carried Miami through their opener, adjusting the attack to compensate for both absences up top. Inter Miami’s projected starting XI: Rocco Rios Novo; Ian Fray, Fricio Caicedo, Micael, Noah Allen; Yannick Bright, Casemiro, Rodrigo De Paul; Lovend’s Delinois, Daniel Pinter, Telasco Segovia. Monterrey’s projected lineup Monterrey, meanwhile, will look to bounce back from their Matchday 1 defeat to Orlando City, fielding a lineup built around their attacking depth in Miami. Monterrey’s projected starting XI: Luis Cardenas; Carlos Salcedo, Victor Guzman, Daniel Aceves; Lucas Ocampos, Orbelin Pineda, Jesus Corona, Oliver Torres, Luca Orellano; Hugo Cuypers, Diego Rossi.
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