Lionel Messi needs to find his groove again to lead Inter Miami in Leagues Cup
Inter Miami needs Messi to find his groove again if they're going to advance in the tournament.
The 2025 Leagues Cup features a new format: While the matches are between Major League Soccer teams and LIGA MX clubs from Mexico, the top four clubs from each league will advance to the knockout stage.
Earning three points for a win isn't enough in this year's edition. Goal differential is the next tiebreaker in the table, placing a greater emphasis on scoring to advance to the quarterfinals.
'You look at the table, and you've won and you're in sixth place because of the goal difference. There are still two games to play, a lot can happen,' Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said a day before the club's match against Necaxa at Chase Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 2.
Messi delivered assists on goals scored by Telasco Segovia and Marcelo Weigandt in Inter Miami's 2-1 win against Atlas on July 30, but complained about feeling fatigued in his first match after having last week off.
Messi was suspended for skipping the MLS All-Star Game on July 23, causing him to serve a one-game suspension on July 26. Before the layoff, Messi scored two goals in four of five matches following the FIFA Club World Cup.
'Even if [the rest] seems better, for me it's worse because I need to compete. I feel good physically the more matches I play and get into rhythm,' Messi told Apple TV. 'The other day they didn't let me compete, and I felt it in the first half, but the important thing is that we won.'
Mascherano expects Messi to find his form again, especially with Inter Miami having three of its next four matches at home. The only away match is against in-state rival Orlando City on Aug. 10.
'Unless Leo feels tired and doesn't say anything, the idea is that if he feels good, he'll always play,' Mascherano said of Messi.
Inter Miami needs its biggest star to keep pace with the MLS clubs in Leagues Cup.
The Seattle Sounders thrashed reigning Concacaf Champions Cup winners Cruz Azul 7-0, while L.A. Galaxy beat Tijuana 5-2 on July 31. The Portland Timbers toppled Atlético de San Luis 4-0, and Minnesota United beat Querétaro 4-1 on July 30.
Seattle, Portland, the Galaxy and Minnesota are the top four clubs in the MLS side of the Leagues Cup table, followed by FC Cincinnati (which beat Monterrey 3-2 on July 31), Inter Miami, the Colorado Rapids and New York Red Bulls. Those eight MLS clubs won their first Leagues Cup match.
The top four on the LIGA MX side are Tigres UANL, FC Juarez, Puebla and Necaxa after the first round of matches. After facing Necaxa, Inter Miami will host Tigres UANL on Wednesday, Aug. 6 in their last match of the group stage.
'What keeps you going is trying to play well, get a good result, and then we'll see what happens,' Mascherano said. 'But I don't think there's much point in feeling sorry for yourself or focusing too much on other results.'
Necaxa is led by new coach Fernando Gago, barely two months into the job. They beat Atlanta United 3-1 in their Leagues Cup opener on July 30.
Gago was a starter alongside Messi and Mascherano in Argentina's 1-0 win in the Olympic men's soccer final in 2008, and came off the bench in their loss to Germany in the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup final.
'Fernando is a friend from soccer – someone I had the privilege of sharing many years with on the national team, but he's also someone I care about, someone I've shared moments with outside of soccer as well,' Mascherano said of Gago. 'It's always special to face people you know, people you've shared so many good times with. And in the end, when the ball starts rolling, I'll try to do everything I can to compete in the best way possible and win so we can still hope to qualify.'
How to watch Inter Miami vs. Necaxa in Leagues Cup?
The match begins at 7 p.m. on Aug. 2, with live stream available on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Inter Miami vs. Necaxa: Is Messi playing, Leagues Cup table standings
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