Argentine star Lionel Messi has been ruled out for Inter Miami's Leagues Cup knockout match against Columbus Crew on Tuesday, according to coach Gerardo Martino. Messi continues to recover from a right ankle injury sustained a month ago during Argentina's 1-0 win over Colombia in the Copa America final. He has not yet rejoined his Miami teammates for training after being out of a walking boot.
The Leagues Cup, featuring teams from MLS and Liga MX, saw Messi play a pivotal role in Miami's inaugural title win last year. The upcoming match between Columbus Crew, the reigning MLS champions, and Miami, currently leading the league table, is one of eight matches that will determine the quarter-final pairings this Friday and Saturday.
In the round-of-16 opener on Monday, host Seattle Sounders defeated Mexican side Pumas 4-0. Paul Rothrock's header in the 32nd minute, assisted by Albert Rusnak, put Seattle ahead, with Jordan Morris extending the lead in the 58th minute, also thanks to Rusnak's assist. Rusnak scored from the penalty spot in the 71st minute, and Morris added another goal from the spot in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Seattle, who also beat Pumas in the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League final, will host the winner of the San Jose vs. Los Angeles FC match on Tuesday. Other matches include Philadelphia at Cincinnati, Cruz Azul against Mazatlan, Tigres against New York City, Toluca at Colorado, and Club America at St. Louis.
