Lionel Messi will **not** be playing for Inter Miami in their Matchday 2 clash against Monterrey in the 2026 Leagues Cup. The decision follows the death of his father, Jorge Messi, an event that deeply affected the soccer icon.
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## Why Messi is Absent
Messi scored twice in Inter Miami’s opening Leagues Cup match, but his plans for the team’s second group-stage fixture at Nu Stadium have changed due to personal tragedy. The No. 10 will instead travel to Rosario, Argentina, to be with his family and say a final farewell.
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## What This Means for Inter Miami’s Lineup
Without Messi, the squad faces a significant void—both emotionally and tactically. Another key player, Luis Suárez, also remains unavailable. He is serving a six-game suspension after his actions during the 2025 Leagues Cup Final versus the Seattle Sounders.
A potential starting XI for this match might look like:
– Rocco Ríos Novo
– Ian Fray
– Fricio Caicedo
– Micael
– Noah Allen
– Yannick Bright
– Casemiro
– Rodrigo de Paul
– Lovens Delinois
– Daniel Pinter
– Telasco Segovia
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## Status of Germán Berterame
Forward Germán Berterame—born in Argentina but now a naturalized Mexican—was struck by a concussion during an MLS match against CF Montreal. While his recovery has been promising, head coach Gerardo “Tata” Hoyos did not commit to his availability. “He is doing well … It gives us great joy to have him in the squad,” Hoyos remarked.
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## Historical Record vs. Mexican Clubs
Since Messi joined Inter Miami, their success versus Liga MX sides in the Leagues Cup has been overwhelming. They’ve beaten Mexican opposition in 8 of 9 encounters. The only blemish? A loss to Tigres UANL in 2024. Here’s a breakdown:
– Cruz Azul: win 2-1 (2023)
– Puebla: win 2-0 (2024)
– Tigres UANL: loss 1-2 (2024)
– Pumas UNAM: win 5-3 (2024)
– Atlas: win 2-1 (2025)
– Necaxa: win 5-4 on penalties after 2-2 (2025)
– Pumas UNAM: win 3-1 (2025)
– Tigres UANL: win 2-1 (2025)
– Atletico San Luis: win 4-2 (2026)
Messi’s playmaking ability and precision in front of goal have played huge roles in building this unbeaten streak against Mexican teams.
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## Match Details
– **Teams:** Inter Miami vs Monterrey
– **Competition:** Leagues Cup, Group Stage Matchday 2
– **Date:** Saturday, August 8, 2026
– **Location:** Nu Stadium, Miami, Florida
– **Kickoff:** 8:00 PM ET
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With Messi away, Inter Miami faces a test of depth both on and off the field. Still, their historical dominance over Mexican clubs offers them a psychological edge. Whether they’ll be able to sustain it without their captain remains to be seen.
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