Inter Miami face Atletico San Luis in their 2026 Leagues Cup debut, and many are wondering whether Lionel Messi will be available for this match. Inter Miami open their 2026 Leagues Cup campaign on Wednesday, August 5, hosting Atletico San Luis at Nu Stadium, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. ET. The Herons arrive unbeaten in their last seven MLS matches, while San Luis is still searching for its first win of the Apertura 2026 in Liga MX. For this crucial game, Lionel Messi will start. The Argentine returned from the World Cup off the bench in Inter Miami’s 2-2 draw against Columbus Crew last weekend, and coach Guillermo Hoyos will now hand him his first start since the tournament, alongside Rodrigo De Paul, who is also in the lineup after working his way back from international duty. Hoyos will have to make do without two key attacking pieces for the opener. Luis Suárez is unavailable for the entire tournament, serving the first match of a six-game Leagues Cup suspension stemming from his conduct in last year’s final against Seattle Sounders. Germán Berterame is also out, still recovering from the hard collision he suffered against CF Montreal that required an overnight hospital stay, leaving Mateo Silvetti as the likely option to partner Messi up front. Es hoy. Vamos Miami. 😤⚔️ #MIAvASL pic.twitter.com/7u1HpUfhIz— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) August 5, 2026 Inter Miami confirmed lineup With Suárez, Berterame and also Tadeo Allende, who is recovering from knee surgery, ruled out for this match, Hoyos will feature a very different attack, but with Messi as starter. This is Miami’s confirmed starting XI: Ríos-Novo; Caicedo, Fray, Silva, Allen; Bright, Casemiro, De Paul, Segovia; Messi, Pinter. Atletico San Luis confirmed lineup Atletico San Luis arrive in a very different moment. The Mexican side has yet to find its footing in the Apertura, and this Leagues Cup opener gives them a chance to salvage some momentum against a strong Miami side. This is San Luis’ confirmed starting XI: Sánchez; Bambu, Álvarez, Águila; Torres, Salles-Lamonge, Macías, Esteves; Rodríguez, Flores, Llorente.
Sebastian Caceres is one of the multiple stars in the 2026 World Cup that's using a protective mask, in this case in the Uruguay game against Cape Verde. Sebastian Caceres will anchor the backline for Uruguay on Sunday as the primary center-back tasked with neutralizing Cape Verde’s attack during this highly anticipated 2026 World Cup Group H clash at Hard Rock Stadium. However, much like a handful of other prominent stars competing in North America, the defender has drawn some buzz for playing through the tournament with a specialized protective face mask. Caceres is required to wear the custom facial armor due to a severe injury he sustained in May while playing for Liga MX Club America during the domestic playoff quarterfinals. Contesting a 50-50 aerial ball against Pumas UNAM, the center-back was forced to exit the match in the 61st minute, ultimately sidelining him for the second leg as America was eliminated from the tournament. Club America medical staff issued an emergency diagnostic update shortly after the match, revealing that the collision had resulted in a concussion, a fractured zygomatic arch, and direct ocular trauma. The multi-layered facial fracture required immediate intervention from specialists, throwing his availability into serious doubt just as Uruguay manager Marcelo Bielsa was finalizing his preliminary World Cup roster. Fortunately, following an intensive, specialized rehabilitation process, Caceres managed to regain full physical fitness just in time to join the national team camp in the United States. To safely take the pitch, he must wear a protective mask featuring an extended right-cheek guard, a necessary precaution designed to stabilize the underlying bone structure and shield the healing area from any secondary impacts. Sebastian Caceres #3 of Uruguay reacts after the 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia. Caceres, a cornerstone in Bielsa’s Uruguay Despite making his senior international debut in late 2022 and subsequently missing out on the final roster cut for Qatar, Caceres has rapidly transformed into one of Bielsa’s most trusted defensive cornerstones. The 26-year-old defender has already logged 24 career appearances for La Celeste, demonstrating exceptional positional awareness and gritty tactical discipline even though he has yet to record his first international goal. With Ronald Araujo sidelined from peak physical form and long-time captain Jose Maria Gimenez surprisingly dropped to the bench for the tournament opener against Saudi Arabia, Caceres has shouldered immense defensive responsibility. Partnering alongside Napoli’s versatile defender Mathias Olivera, the masked center back will feature his second World Cup game against Cape Verde.
Gilberto Mora made history with Mexico at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Gilberto Mora made history on Thursday during the Group A opener between Mexico and South Africa. The midfielder came on as a substitute for Alvaro Fidalgo in the 65th minute and became the youngest player in Mexico history to appear in a FIFA World Cup match. At 17 years and 240 days old, Mora broke a record set by Manuel ‘Chaquetas’ Rosas in 1930 that had stood for 96 years. The defender, born in 1912, had been Mexico’s youngest-ever World Cup player after appearing against France at the age of 18 years and 134 days at Uruguay 1930. Other Mexican players near the top of that list include Alfredo Torres (19 years and 16 days at Switzerland 1954), Raul Arellano (19 years and 108 days at Switzerland 1954), Andres Guardado (19 years and 269 days at Germany 2006), and Hugo Sanchez (19 years and 326 days at Argentina 1978). Mora earned the trust of head coach Javier Aguirre after standing out over the last two seasons with Club Tijuana, where he has made 53 appearances while recording 10 goals and two assists. Despite his young age, those performances have not only brought him international recognition but have also attracted interest from several European giants. Teboho Mokoena #4 of South Africa is challenged by Gilberto Mora #19 of Mexico. Other records held by Gilberto Mora In just two years as a professional player, Gilberto Mora has become accustomed to breaking records. When he made his debut for Tijuana in 2024, he became the third-youngest player in Liga MX history, trailing only Victor Manon and Martin Galvan. At the international level, he has achieved remarkable milestones as well. When he made his senior Mexico debut in January 2025, Mora became the youngest player in the nation’s history to accomplish that feat, at just 16 years old. Javier Aguirre’s decision to include him in the squad for the 2026 World Cup has now allowed him to claim another Mexico record by surpassing Manuel ‘Chaquetas’ Rosas. In addition, Gil Mora is the youngest of the 1,248 players participating in this edition of the tournament. Mora falls short of Pele record If he scores a goal in any of Mexico’s upcoming matches, Gilberto Mora would move into second place on the list of the youngest goalscorers in FIFA World Cup history. The record, which remains untouchable, belongs to Brazil legend Pele. He led his national team to the title at Sweden 1958 and scored at the age of just 17 years and 239 days in a quarterfinal match against Wales during that tournament.
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