ESPN News Services September 27, 2023, 7:45 PM ET3 Minute Read
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Lionel Messi will not feature in the US Open Cup final between Inter Miami CF and Houston Dynamo FC after being left out of the squad for the last two weeks due to a muscle injury.
Manager Gerardo Martino said on Tuesday that the decision of whether or not his star player was available would depend on playing time. When the line-up was announced before the final at the DRV-PNK Stadium, Messi was not included on the team list.
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Messi’s former Barcelona teammate Jordi Alba is also unavailable as he is struggling with an injury himself.
Miami is bidding for a trophy for the second time after winning the inaugural Leagues Cup tournament between MLS and Liga MX teams.
Thousands of fans were already in attendance in the Fort Lauderdale area late Wednesday afternoon – many of them wearing Messi jerseys in either the blue and white of Argentina or the pink of Inter Miami – long before the gates opened for the cup final, for no other reason than than watching the arrival of the team buses.
However, there was no Messi when the buses arrived, which may have resulted in costly disappointment for some fans. Ticket prices on secondary markets, with links to sales posted on the team’s social media channels as recently as Tuesday, ranged from $145 to nearly $4,000 about an hour before the game.
Messi has been part of the Miami squad since returning from international duty for Argentina with a leg injury stemming from an old scar tissue problem. He did not appear in a loss to Atlanta United on September 16, and attempted to play against Toronto FC on September 20, but was withdrawn after about 30 minutes as Miami ultimately won 4-0.
Alba was substituted in the Toronto game just before Messi due to muscle fatigue, and after the game Martino said neither would play in Saturday’s away game at Orlando City. Miami managed a draw in that game to keep their MLS Cup playoff hopes alive.
Messi’s impact on Miami since signing a blockbuster deal in July has been remarkable. He has scored 11 goals and contributed to 16 total goals, with the team never losing a game in which he appeared.
Miami is five points behind New York City FC, whom it faces in MLS on Saturday, in the standings for the final playoff spot with five games remaining and two remaining.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.