Charlotte, N.C., is playing host to the Canadian men's national soccer team's training camp this week ahead of the World Cup. Canada Soccer says the players will benefit from training in high heat and humidity, while spending time in an “isolated environment” to focus on preparations.
18 days before 2026 World Cup with Argentina, Lionel Messi exited the Inter Miami vs Philadelphia Union game with an injury. Inter Miami hosted Philadelphia Union on Sunday at Nu Stadium in what was the club’s final MLS appearance before players break away for World Cup training camps. The occasion was overshadowed when Lionel Messi was forced off the field with a muscle injury. The match got off to a nightmare start for the hosts, with Milan Iloski netting a brace inside the opening ten minutes. Messi responded by setting up German Berterame to cut the deficit in the 13th minute, before Bruno Damiani added a third for the Union after Dayne St. Clair was unable to hold a shot in the 20th, though Inter Miami continued to battle back. Ian Fray delivered a pinpoint cross for Luis Suarez to reduce it to 2-3 with an acrobatic finish in the 29th, and Messi then turned a loose ball into another assist for Berterame to level in the 41st. Suarez completed his brace from a rebound off a Rodrigo De Paul effort in the 44th, only for Iloski to restore Philadelphia’s lead from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time to complete a stunning hat-trick. After an extraordinary 4-4 first half, Inter Miami pushed for a winner but could not convert their chances, before the afternoon took a worrying turn. Messi grabbed at his left hamstring in the 73rd minute and signaled to the bench, leaving the field in visible discomfort to be replaced by Mateo Silvetti. 🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨BREAKING: Leo Messi asked for substitution and he walks straight into the locker room 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/3uJ1BUZjy7— Inter Miami News Hub (@Intermiamicfhub) May 25, 2026 Upon leaving the pitch, Messi headed straight down the Nu Stadium tunnel toward the locker room, escorted by a member of Inter Miami’s staff. The scene left little room for optimism, as the Argentine captain kept his head down, looking at the ground; even though he didn’t appear to be severely limping, the No. 10’s body language was far from promising. ليو يغادر الى غرفة الملابس pic.twitter.com/IxCaIWgX1o— Messi World (@M10GOAT) May 25, 2026 Massive setback for an otherwise durable Lionel Messi Aside from a March 14th clash against Charlotte FC where he was rested entirely, Messi has been a fixture in Inter Miami’s lineup throughout the 2026 campaign, logging the full 90 minutes in each of his previous appearances (13 in MLS play and two in the CONCACAF Champions Cup). In fact, the only time he saw limited action across the first five months of the calendar year was during Argentina‘s friendly against Mauritania in March, when he was brought on as a halftime substitute to play the final 45 minutes. Sunday’s tilt against Philadelphia marks the first time all season that Messi has been unable to finish a match for Inter Miami—and more concerningly, it was triggered by a muscular ailment rather than a tactical substitution. The Argentine legend concludes a spectacular month of May with four goals and six assists across five MLS fixtures, but all eyes now pivot to his medical evaluation and how this sudden injury could impact his World Cup preparations.
Inter Miami are clashing with the Portland Timbers in the MLS, with all eyes on Lionel Messi to feature in the game. Inter Miami host the Portland Timbers on Sunday, May 17, at Nu Stadium in the 2026 MLS regular season. With the Herons looking to climb further up the Eastern Conference standings, the biggest question heading into the match is whether Lionel Messi will be in the lineup. Messi has been included in the starting lineup against the Timbers. The Argentine arrives in good form after scoring a brace and adding an assist in a 5-3 road win over FC Cincinnati, a performance that earned him a spot in the MLS Team of the Matchday 13 and further underlines his sharp form heading into the summer. Through 12 MLS appearances this season, Messi has scored 11 goals and registered four assists. His only absence came against Charlotte FC back in March, and since returning he has played every available minute, accumulating 1,260 minutes across all competitions and arriving at the World Cup in peak condition. Inter Miami looking to break their troubling home record One of the most striking anomalies of Inter Miami’s 2026 campaign has been the stark contrast between their form on the road and at home. Away from Nu Stadium, the Herons are the top team in the league with 22 points from nine games, yet at home they rank among the worst sides in MLS, picking up just three points from four matches, level with the Philadelphia Union. Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF at Nu Stadium. That split has Inter Miami sitting sixth in the overall MLS standings with 25 points from 13 games. Back on home soil on Sunday, the Herons will be desperate to finally secure a second win at Nu Stadium, having not claimed all three points there since the venue’s inaugural game against Austin FC on April 4. Confirmed lineups for Inter Miami and Portland Timbers Inter Miami’s confirmed lineup (4-3-3): Dayne St. Clair; Ian Fray, Gonzalo Lujan, Micael, Sergio Reguilon; Rodrigo De Paul, Yannick Bright, Telasco Segovia; Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, German Berterame.Head coach Guillermo Hoyos. Portland Timbers’ confirmed lineup (4-3-3): James Pantemis; Brandon Bye, Finn Surman, Kamal Miller, Jimer Fory; Cole Bassett, David Pereira Da Costa, Diego Chara; Kristoffer Velde, Kevin Kelsy, Alexander Aravena.Head coach: Phil Neville.
Charlotte FC head coach Dean Smith acknowledges whoever replaces the suspended Ashley Westwood for Wednesday’s meeting with New York City will have big shoes to fill. Westwood will miss Charlotte’s midweek game after picking up his fifth yellow card of the MLS season, during Saturday’s 2-2 draw with FC Cincinnati. The Crown are now winless […] The post Charlotte FC v New York City FC: Smith says Westwood replacement will have to step up appeared first on Soccer News.
The Cooligans break down the upcoming Champions League Final and debate whether Arsenal are walking straight into a tactical nightmare against Luis Enrique’s PSG. Then, USMNT captain and Charlotte FC defender Tim Ream joins the show to discuss the pressure of playing a home World Cup, the changes Mauricio Pochettino has brought to the national team, and why the squad isn’t panicking despite recent results. Plus, the boys dive into the chaos at Real Madrid and ask the question nobody in Madrid wants to answer: is Kylian Mbappe actually the problem?
Major League Soccer recognized Lionel Messi for his performance against Orlando City, despite Inter Miami’s defeat. Last Saturday, Inter Miami suffered a tough 4-3 loss to Orlando City after starting the match in dominant fashion and building a three-goal lead. Despite the setback, Major League Soccer honored Lionel Messi’s performance. “Inter Miami CF captain Lionel Messi has been named to the Major League Soccer Team of the Matchday,” the club announced in a statement published on its official website. “The Argentine earns his fifth Team of the Matchday selection of the campaign after a standout performance in which he contributed to all three Inter Miami goals, recording one goal and two assists.” The Herons’ first-half advantage was largely driven by the Argentine forward’s performance. On Ian Fray’s opening goal, Messi played the pass to Telasco Segovia, who then delivered the cross. He later assisted the Venezuelan midfielder for the second goal, and in the 33rd minute, he scored the third with a precise finish. However, Messi’s performance was overshadowed in the second half by another Argentine. Martin Ojeda led Orlando City’s comeback with a hat trick to level the score and then assisted Tyrese Spicer for the game-winning goal in stoppage time. Matchday 11's best XI. 😮💨Team of the Matchday pres. by Audi: https://t.co/hzNJh99dHI pic.twitter.com/oIPV0HmD2S— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 4, 2026 Messi keeps piling up accolades The honor awarded by MLS to Lionel Messi as part of the Team of the Matchday for Week 11 adds to a growing list of similar recognitions the Argentine forward has earned for his performances with Inter Miami. In fact, during the 2026 season, Messi has been named to the Team of the Matchday in five of the first eleven weeks. His previous selections came in Matchday 2 (alongside Javier Mascherano, Telasco Segovia, and Mateo Silvetti), Matchday 5 (alongside Gonzalo Lujan), Matchday 6, and Matchday 8. These honors reflect the Argentine star’s production so far this season. Messi has played in 10 of Inter Miami’s 11 MLS matches in 2026—resting only for the March matchup against Charlotte FC—and has recorded eight goals and one assist. Inter Miami’s upcoming challenges Following the tough loss to Orlando City, Inter Miami now have a week to recover both mentally and physically. On Saturday, they will travel to Canada to face Toronto FC in the first of three matches in a one-week span. They will then visit FC Cincinnati on Wednesday, May 13, before returning home the following Sunday to host Portland Timbers.
Major League Soccer announced a sanction for Luis Suarez just days before Inter Miami’s clash with Orlando City. Inter Miami star Luis Suarez was sanctioned by Major League Soccer this week, just days before the Herons face Orlando City in a key league matchup between Florida rivals. However, the decision will not prevent the Uruguayan forward from being available. “The MLS Disciplinary Committee has fined Inter Miami CF forward Luis Suarez for violating the league’s policy regarding simulation/embellishment in the 72nd minute of Miami’s match against the New England Revolution on April 25,” MLS said in a statement published on its official website. The incident took place during Inter Miami’s most recent match, a 1-1 draw against the Revs at Nu Stadium on Matchday 10 of the MLS season. Suarez was in the starting lineup and played the full 90 minutes. In the second half, with the score at 1-0 in favor of the visitors, the forward attempted to deceive referee Rubiel Vazquez in hopes of earning a penalty to level the match, but was unsuccessful. However, minutes later, German Berterame scored to secure a point for Inter Miami at home. Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF celebrates with Luis Suárez #9. Suarez was not the only player penalized. “The MLS Disciplinary Committee has fined D.C. United midfielder Matti Peltola for violating the league’s policy regarding simulation/embellishment in the 30th minute of D.C.’s match against Orlando City on April 25,” the statement added. Suarez has played a limited role this season The sanction issued to Luis Suarez is purely financial, meaning he remains eligible for Saturday’s match against Orlando City. It will be up to head coach Guillermo Hoyos to decide whether to keep the Uruguayan forward in the starting lineup or return him to the bench. So far in the 2026 season, Suarez has made seven appearances for Inter Miami. One came in the Concacaf Champions Cup against Nashville SC, while the other six were in MLS, where he has scored two goals. However, the 39-year-old striker has played a secondary role for most of the year. He has started just two of those seven matches—a 0-0 draw against Charlotte FC when Javier Mascherano was still the coach, and last Saturday’s 1-1 draw against New England Revolution. He has also remained on the bench without featuring in four matches. Other Inter Miami players sanctioned Luis Suarez joins a list of Inter Miami players who have been sanctioned by MLS in recent weeks. Facundo Mura was also fined for simulation during the Herons’ win over Real Salt Lake in a similar incident, while Yannick Bright received an additional one-match suspension following his red card against Colorado Rapids for racist remarks.
