MIAMI — Inter Miami’s 2026 Leagues Cup is over before the knockout rounds. The Herons were eliminated from the tournament’s first phase after a 3-2 home loss to Liga MX side Club León on Aug. 12, World Soccer Talk reported — the club’s worst showing in the competition since Lionel Messi’s arrival in July 2023.
Inter Miami finished Phase One with just three points from three matches, short of the top-four finish among MLS clubs required to advance to the knockout stage of the cross-league tournament between MLS and Liga MX.
The campaign had opened with promise. On Aug. 5, Inter Miami came from behind to beat Atlético de San Luis 4-2, with Messi scoring twice, according to the club’s match recap. The brace made Messi the all-time leading scorer in Leagues Cup history with 14 goals, moving him past LAFC forward Denis Bouanga.
A Late Collapse Against León
A 2-1 loss to Monterrey followed, with Messi absent while in Argentina following the death of his father. He returned for the León match as a halftime substitute and was active — registering five shot attempts, three on target, and four key passes — but could not find a goal or assist.
Inter Miami twice led the match. Daniel Pinter opened the scoring in the 42nd minute, and after Daniel Arcila equalized for León in the 50th, Yannick Bright restored the lead three minutes later. But Juan Domínguez leveled in the 61st minute and Arcila struck again in the 83rd to complete the comeback and send the visitors through at the hosts’ expense.
The early exit is a sharp reversal in a competition Inter Miami has historically treated as its own. The club won the inaugural Leagues Cup in 2023 — Messi’s first trophy in pink — reached the Round of 16 in 2024, and made the final in 2025 before falling 3-0 to Seattle.
The loss also spoils a tournament the club hoped to showcase at its new home. Both home matches were played at Nu Stadium, where Inter Miami opened its 2026 campaign after years at Fort Lauderdale’s Chase Stadium.
With continental cup play off the calendar, Inter Miami’s focus now shifts fully to the MLS regular season and the race for playoff positioning — and to managing the workload of a 39-year-old Messi through the stretch run. For South Florida fans, the consolation is straightforward: no midweek cup dates means more of Messi in league play at home.
Leave a Reply