Lionel Messi Sidelined as Houston Dynamo Defeat Inter Miami in U.S. Open Cup Final

Lionel Messi Watches From Sidelines as Houston Dynamo Beat Inter Miami in U.S. Open Cup

Inter Miami CF faced a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Houston Dynamo in the U.S. Open Cup final, with star player Lionel Messi sidelined due to an injury he sustained while representing Argentina.

Manager Gerardo Martino had hinted that Messi’s availability would be decided last minute, but when the final lineup was disclosed ahead of the match at DRV PNK Stadium, Messi’s name was notably absent.

Martino explained the decision, saying, “It was clearly not safe for him to play, not even for a few minutes. We couldn’t take the risk. However, he will certainly make a return before the end of the season. His participation will be determined on a game-by-game basis, depending on feedback from the medical team.”

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Messi’s former Barcelona teammate, Jordi Alba, also missed the match due to his own injury, and both players were seen in the stands wearing street clothes shortly after kick-off.

With two key players missing, Inter Miami struggled, and Houston capitalized on the situation by scoring twice in the first half, with Griffin Dorsey netting a close-range thunderbolt and Amine Bassi converting a penalty. The visitors took control of the game.

Despite their efforts to stage a comeback, Miami lacked the finishing touch and could only manage a late consolation goal courtesy of Josef Martinez.

When the final whistle blew, Houston added their second U.S. Open Cup to their trophy collection, having previously won it in 2018.

Martino commented on his team’s performance, stating, “Today, I saw a worn-out and tired team. We were also limited by the injuries, so our performance was affected by those circumstances.”

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Thousands of fans eagerly gathered in the Fort Lauderdale area well before the match, many sporting Messi jerseys in either the blue and white of Argentina or the pink of Inter Miami. However, when the team buses arrived, Messi was notably absent, which may have disappointed some fans who had paid high prices for tickets on secondary markets.

Messi had been in and out of Miami’s lineup since his return from international duty with Argentina due to a leg injury related to old scar tissue. He did not play in a recent match against Atlanta United and was withdrawn after about 30 minutes in another game against Toronto FC.

Alba had also been substituted in the Toronto game due to muscle fatigue, and Martino had announced that neither Messi nor Alba would participate in the following game against Orlando City. Miami managed to secure a draw in that match, keeping their MLS Cup playoff hopes alive.

Messi’s impact on Miami since joining the team in a blockbuster deal in July has been significant, contributing 11 goals and a total of 16 goal involvements. The team had not lost a game in which Messi played.

Inter Miami is currently five points behind New York City FC in the standings for the final playoff spot with five games left to play and two games in hand. They are set to face New York City FC in an upcoming MLS match.