Since he managed to get out of a walking boot, Messi has not yet practiced with his Miami teammates.
The Leagues Cup is a competition involving Mexican Liga MX and Major League Soccer teams. Last year, Messi assisted Miami in winning the inaugural championship.
Eight games on Friday and Saturday will determine the quarterfinal pairings, including the matchup between Miami, the team with the best overall record in the league table, and the Columbus Crew, the MLS champions from the previous season.
In the first round of 16 matches on Monday, the host Seattle Sounders defeated Pumas 4-0, a Mexican team.
Seattle took a 1-0 lead thanks to Paul Rothrock’s header off an Albert Rusnak centering pass in the 32nd minute. Rusnak again assisted Jordan Morris in the 58th minute to increase the Sounders’ lead.
Morris added a last-minute goal from the penalty spot in the fifth minute of stoppage time, after Slovakian Rusnak scored on a penalty kick in the 71st minute.
Seattle, who also triumphed over Pumas in the CONCACAF Champions League final in 2022, will next host the victor of San Jose vs. Los Angeles FC on Tuesday.
Tuesday’s other knockout games are Toluca at Colorado, Club America at St. Louis, Cruz Azul vs. Mazatlan, Tigres vs. New York City, and Philadelphia vs. Cincinnati.
