Messi exits early with injury in Miami's Leagues Cup win

The 38-year-old Argentine superstar forward appeared to be having treatment on his upper right leg or groin before making his exit under his own power and walking to the locker room.

But after a 5-4 triumph in penalties after a 2-2 draw, Miami coach Javier Mascherano said it would be Sunday before exact details of the injury and the severity of the setback would be known.

"Well, he felt discomfort, and we will not be able to know until tomorrow how severe the injury is," Mascherano said after the match. "There's probably something there. Maybe not as important, because he was really not in pain. But he did feel a pull."

Messi took the ball and dribbled into the Necaxa back line, but he stumbled at the top of the box and ran into Necaxa defender Alexis Pena, then tumbled to the ground, pounding the pitch in frustration as the ball was cleared away.

Moments later, Heron's captain Messi was alone near midfield on the left wing by himself when he went to the ground in a seated position, lying on his back briefly until trainers arrived.

Mascherano elected to send in Federico Redondo to replace Messi. Inter Miami won 5-4 on penalties after the 10-man teams played to a 2-2 draw after full time.

Argentine striker Tomas Badaloni was denied on the decisive penalty kick in the third round of the shootout while Rodrigo De Paul, Ben Cremaschi, Jordi Alba, Redondo and Luis Suarez hit penalties for Miami, Uruguayan striker Suarez getting the decider on the last kick.

Inter Miami Venezuelan midfielder Telasco Segovia scored in the 12th minute, but Herons defender Maximiliano Falcon of Uruguay was shown a red card in the 17th minute.

Badaloni netted the equaliser for Necaxa in the 33rd minute to level the visitors at half-time, and Necaxa was cut to 10 men as well when Cristian Calderon received a red card in the 60th minute.

Ricardo Monreal, who came off the Necaxa bench in the 74th minute, scored in the 81st to put the Mexican side ahead only for Spain's Alba to net the equaliser for Miami in the second minute of stoppage time.

During the Argentine World Cup qualifiers in March, Messi was nagged by thigh strain issues. Messi has scored 18 goals and assisted on nine others in 18 MLS appearances this season.

He assisted on both Inter Miami goals in a 2-1 victory over Atlas on Wednesday in their opener in the Leagues Cup, a tournament involving MLS and Mexican League squads.

Miami conclude group stage play in the event on Wednesday against Pumas. Messi led Inter Miami to the inaugural Leagues Cup crown in 2023 just after his arrival with the MLS club.