Lionel Messi's ankle injury improves. Will he play Inter Miami's next Leagues Cup game?
Lionel Messi continues to recover from his right ankle ligament injury, but he won’t play in Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup tournament match against LIGA MX club Tigres UANL on Saturday at Houston’s NRG Stadium.
Messi is out of the walking boot he used to begin his recovery, Inter Miami coach Tata Martino said during a news conference Friday. But Messi continues to work with team trainers and has yet to hit the field with his teammates in a practice setting.
Still, it’s a positive Messi injury update since he first suffered the injury during the Copa America final July 14.
Inter Miami’s match against Tigres UANL will determine seeding in the Leagues Cup tournament as both clubs have already clinched a spot in the Round of 32, beating Puebla during the group stage.
Inter Miami will face either MLS counterpart Toronto or LIGA MX side Pachuca in the knockout stage next week. If Inter Miami wins, it will face the Toronto-Pachuca loser. If Inter Miami loses, it will face the winner.
Despite already advancing to the knockout stage, Martino believes Tigres UANL could advance deep in the Leagues Cup, and Saturday’s match will serve as another measuring stick for Inter Miami. The club has won seven of eight matches without Messi since June 1.
“It is one of the most important teams in the [tournament], and it will surely be a nice test for us to see how we are to transcend in this competition,” Martino said of Tigres UANL.
How to watch Inter Miami vs. Tigres UANL in Leagues Cup?
The Inter Miami match against Tigres UANL begins at 8 p.m. ET (9 p.m. in Argentina) and will be live streamed by MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Is Messi playing tomorrow?
No, Messi is not expected to play in Inter Miami’s match vs. Tigres UANL during Leagues Cup.
Where to watch Leagues Cup tournament games?
All Leagues Cup games are available to live stream via MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Which MLS and LIGA MX teams have advanced in Leagues Cup?
As of Friday, 19 of 32 teams have already reached the knockout stage – 13 from MLS and six from LIGA MX.
∎MLS: Austin FC, Columbus Crew, D.C. United, FC Cincinnati, Inter Miami CF, LAFC, LA Galaxy, New York City FC, Philadelphia Union, Portland Timbers, Sporting Kansas City, St. Louis City SC, Toronto FC.
∎LIGA MX: Club América, CF Pachuca, FC Juárez, Mazatlán FC, Tigres UANL, Toluca FC.
Which MLS and LIGA MX teams have been eliminated from Leagues Cup?
So far, only five clubs have been eliminated from the tournament
∎MLS: Chicago Fire FC, FC Dallas, New York Red Bulls.
∎LIGA MX: Club Puebla, Club Querétaro.
Upcoming Leagues Cup Schedule
The round of 32 will be decided after these Leagues Cup games Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
Saturday, Aug. 3
- Tigres UANL vs. Inter Miami CF at NRG Stadium, 8 p.m.
- CF Monterrey vs. Pumas UNAM at Q2 Stadium, 10 p.m. (Univision)
- Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Tijuana at BC Place, 10 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 4
- Atlanta United vs. Santos Laguna at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, 4 p.m.
- Orlando City SC vs. San Luis at INTER&Co Stadium, 8 p.m.
- Pachuca vs. Toronto FC at BMO Field, 8 p.m.
- Philadelphia Union vs. Cruz Azul at Subaru Park, 8 p.m. (FS1, UniMás)
- St. Louis City SC vs. Juárez at CITYPARK, 9 p.m.
- Chivas Guadalajara vs. LA Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park, 10:30 p.m.
- Seattle Sounders FC vs. Necaxa at Lumen Field, 10:30 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 5
- FC Cincinnati vs. New York City FC at TQL Stadium, 8 p.m.
- Houston Dynamo FC vs. Real Salt Lake at Shell Energy Stadium, 9 p.m.
- Club León vs. Colorado Rapids at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, 9 p.m.
- Toluca vs. Sporting Kansas City at Children's Mercy Park, 9 p.m. (FS1, UniMás)
Tuesday, Aug. 6
- New England Revolution vs. Nashville SC at Gillette Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
What is Leagues Cup tournament?
Leagues Cup is a 47-team World Cup-style tournament, featuring MLS teams from the United States and Canada, and LIGA MX clubs from Mexico. Inter Miami won the inaugural Leagues Cup behind Messi last year.