Inter Miami

Inter Miami confirmed Monday that Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez will miss the MLS All-Star Game on Wednesday.

"Leo Messi will miss the All-Star Game due to an ankle injury, while Luis Suárez, who recently returned from international duty after over 40 days away from the club, will miss the All-Star Game due to knee discomfort," the club said, per the Miami Herald's Michelle Kaufman. "Their availability for Saturday's League's Cup match will be assessed based on their daily recovery process."

Messi was subbed off in Argentina's 1-0 victory over Colombia in the Copa América final with what Inter Miami described as a ligament injury in his right ankle. He had gone down without contact and exited in the 66th minute of the match.

Suárez, who represented Uruguay at Copa América, might be getting rested by Inter Miami proactively as much as he's experiencing knee discomfort. He has logged a lot of minutes this summer, most recently going the distance in the 2-1 win over Chicago Fire FC over the weekend.

Messi and Suárez are arguably the two most notable names in the league based on their reputations in the sport, and they earned their All-Star nods on merit. The former has 12 goals and 13 assists in 12 appearances, while the latter boasts 12 goals and five assists through 18 fixtures.

Missing both will be a blow for MLS in terms of building interest for the All-Star Game, which pits the league's top players against a handpicked squad from Mexico's Liga MX.

The supporters in Columbus, Ohio, are the biggest losers from Monday's news.

Inter Miami's lone trip to Lower.com Field during the 2023 season came in April, before Messi and Suárez had signed with the club. They have yet to make the trip to Central Ohio, and their only chance this year is now Miami's Oct. 2 date with the Columbus Crew.

The Chicago Fire will credit fans who purchased tickets for the team's match against Inter Miami if Lionel Messi is unable to play due to injury, per ESPN's Lizzy Becherano.

Messi suffered a ligament injury in his right ankle during Argentina's Copa América Final against Colombia on Sunday, sidelining him for the remainder of the game. His return from injury is still unclear.

If he is not back on the field by the time Inter Miami faces Chicago, fans who have already purchased tickets will be offered two complimentary tickets to the Fire's Fan Appreciation Night matchup against Nashville FC on Oct. 19.

For fans who have yet to purchase tickets, Chicago will offer $250 off two or more new 2025 Chicago Fire season-ticket memberships or $100 off two or more single-match tickets for the 2025 home match against Inter Miami. Fans must purchase between now and Aug. 3 to be eligible for the deal.

"As the Club looks forward to filling Soldier Field with fans to cheer on the hometown Chicago Fire, it does recognize that a player of Inter Miami star forward Lionel Messi's caliber always helps to draw a larger crowd and attract new fans to the beautiful game," the Fire said in a statement.

Chicago currently sits near the bottom of the Eastern Conference at 6-7-11, while Inter Miami sits at the top of the table at 15-5-4.

Inter Miami announced Tuesday that Lionel Messi will be out indefinitely due to a ligament injury in his right ankle.

The Argentina captain was subbed off in the 66th minute of the team's 1-0 win over Colombia in the Copa América final.

Prior to Inter Miami's announcement, coach Gerardo Martino said he expected the 37-year-old to be out for a minimum of two matches.

"He twisted his ankle, and the injury is present, so tests are needed and wait for results," he told reporters. "I've had the opportunity to see other images. There will be tests done to determine the severity of the situation. We are always informed through our kinesiologist Walter Insaurralde, who is also the kinesiologist of the national team. He is very cautious at giving a final diagnosis before results are in."

Miami was probably already planning to give Messi a bit of a break following Copa América. Even without the injury, it was difficult to picture him going from Sunday's final and suiting up Wednesday against Toronto FC, and even Saturday's fixture with Chicago Fire FC might've been pushing it.

Inter Miami is second in the Eastern Conference on 47 points, five ahead of the next closest side, as well, so the club is in a good position to weather his absence if he misses a week or two.

The indefinite nature of Messi's is a little concerning, though. He has been excellent this season, scoring 12 goals and supplying the second-most assists in MLS with 13.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner might've exceeded expectations when he first arrived in 2023 and he hasn't missed a beat since then.

Especially with Luis Suárez (12 goals in 16 matches) perhaps a bit fatigued coming out of Copa América, somebody will need to step up and help lead the Inter Miami attack.

Adidas and MLS announced Tuesday a new "Archive Collection" centered around throwback-style kits.

Inter Miami, the Los Angeles Galaxy, Los Angeles FC, the Portland Timbers and Sporting Kansas City are all featured in the new line, which includes an alternate kit and lifestyle gear:

The Galaxy, Timbers and Kansas City had a wealth of history from which to base their retro looks.

Los Angeles and Kansas City were inaugural members of MLS in 1996, with the latter starting as the Kansas City Wiz and then going by the Kansas City Wizards. Sporting brought the Wizards moniker back along with the rainbow design that used to adorn their kits. The Galaxy are likewise hearkening back to the mid-1990s with their third shirt and crest.

The Timbers entered MLS much later in 2011 but have a lineage that stretches back to the 1970s in the days of the North American Soccer League. Along with honoring its run in the NASL, Portland has christened its new shirt the "Clive Kit" in reference to English defender Clive Charles. Charles is a legendary figure for both the Timbers and Portland soccer writ large.

The designers had a lot more leeway with their visions for Inter Miami and LAFC's kits since they only joined MLS within the last five years as expansion franchises.

"LAFC's look is a play on the creams and browns of the '70s alongside appropriate lettering, while Inter Miami's look is straight out of the '80s and uses some well-worn color palettes for the city," ESPN's Adam Snavely explained.

For now, these are the only teams that will be part of the "Archive Collection," though MLS said it and Adidas "will explore expanding which clubs have a third jersey in 2025 and beyond."

Much like the "City Connect" jerseys in MLB and the NBA's "City Edition" uniforms, this could be the start of a much wider trend across MLS.

Lionel Messi doesn't plan on retiring anytime soon, but he feels he's found his final home in soccer.

Messi, who turns 37 later this month, told ESPN he plans on retiring with Inter Miami.

"Yes, as of today, it's going to be my last club," Messi said.

Messi joined Inter Miami last summer in arguably the biggest signing in MLS history. He's packed stadiums across the country since his debut while showing he still has plenty left in the tank despite being past his prime.

Inter Miami currently sits atop the MLS standings after being a basement dweller before Messi's arrival. The club also brought in Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, creating one of the most star-studded rosters in American soccer history.

Messi said he's been enjoying his time in Miami and taking the time to relish in the waning moments of his career.

"I don't think about it. I try to enjoy everything much more," Messi said. "There's less and less to go, I want to have a good time at my club and in the national team, where I have great teammates and friends. And I enjoy the little details that I know that when I don't play anymore I will miss."

Messi's contract runs through the 2025 season but carries an option for 2026.

Soccer legend David Beckham has settled a lawsuit with F45 Training, a fitness company that actor Mark Wahlberg owns a 36 percent stake in.

In a press release, F45 Training said that the company has "reached an agreement resolving a prior lawsuit brought by DB Ventures Limited, which concerned an ambassadorial agreement for David Beckham" and Beckham will remain an investor in the company (h/t Natasha Dye of People magazine).

Per Dye, Beckham sued F45 in Oct. 2022 for a total of $18.8 million alleging breach of contract over a promotional deal that he started with the company in 2020.

The $18.8 million consisted of $14.3 million in damages, while Beckham argued that he was also owed an additional $4.5 million for declaratory relief.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid superstar wasn't the only notable retired athlete to sue the company, as Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens previously filed a suit against F45 in 2017 and claimed that he was never paid a sum of $700,000 that he was entitled to.

On Thursday, F45 CEO Tom Dowd said that the company continues to be "a supporter of Beckham" and is "pleased" that the matter was resolved (via Dye).

Before the settlement between Beckham and F45, the case was set to go to trial in Jan. 2025.

Lionel Messi was not happy that new MLS rules sidelined him for two minutes following an injury scare in the first half of Inter Miami's 3-2 Saturday night win over Montreal.

"These types of rules...it's going bad," Messi said, per ESPN's Lizzy Becherano.

Messi's comments, originally made in Spanish, were made as the Inter Miami star turned to the camera and shook his head over being sidelined.

Inter Miami coach Gerardo Martino agreed after the game that the rule "must be revised," per Becherano.

Messi went down clutching his left knee in the 40th minute after being fouled by Montréal defender George Campbell. After being looked at by medical staff, Messi got up and walked to the sideline.

According to the MLS rulebook for the 2024 season, "If the referee stops play due to a potential player injury in which the player remains on the ground for more than 15 seconds and the medical staff enters the field of play, the player may be required to leave the field of play for two minutes."

This two-minute period begins when the ball is back in play, according to the rules.

This does not apply if the injury is caused by a foul that resulted in a yellow or red card, according to the rulebook, but Campbell did not receive either.

This rule is meant to give "medical staffs time to treat players, while also allowing match play to resume quickly," according to the league.

But Martino expressed frustration that lack of a yellow card on Campbell impacted Messi's ability to play.

"As I understand it, the team that suffered the foul was punished," Martino said, per Becherano. "With these new rule changes, there are situations that must be revised. The infraction was clear and was a yellow card, and ultimately it was us that lost Leo for two minutes."

Inter Miami went on to win despite no scoresheet marks from Messi, who has 10 goals and 12 assists in nine games during his second MLS season. The Argentinian national star and former FC Barcelona captain leads all league players in assists despite missing four games.

Lionel Messi broke multiple MLS records on Saturday night as the Inter Miami star dominated throughout the second half of the team's 6-2 victory over the New York Red Bulls.

Messi finished the evening with five assists, securing a new MLS single-game record. Shockingly enough, all five occurred in the second half which set a new league record for assists in a half as well.

The 36-year-old maintained a strong connection with former FC Barcelona teammate Luis Suárez, as the Uruguayan finished the night with a hat-trick. All three of his goals were assisted by Messi.

Messi wasn't done breaking records just yet, as he scored a goal of his own in the 50th minute. The Barcelona connection remained strong, as Suárez assisted on the goal. With six total goal contributions in a single game, Messi set a new MLS record.

The Red Bulls jumped out to an early 1-0 advantage, although Inter Miami responded with six unanswered goals across a 33-minute span in the second half. While New York tacked on one final goal after the 90th minute, the result was still a lopsided Miami win.

Messi has now recorded 10 goals and 12 assists in eight appearances this year, becoming the first Inter Miami player to record double-digit totals in both categories during a single season (h/t Paul Tenorio of The Athletic).

He's continued to set MLS records throughout the 2024 season, as he became the first player in league history to record five consecutive games with multiple goal contributions during an April 27 victory over the New England Revolution.

After Saturday's action, Messi now leads all MLS players in assists this season and is tied with Suárez for the league lead in goals.

After missing nearly a month of action, Lionel Messi will make his return for Inter Miami's match against the Colorado Rapids on Saturday, per The Athletic's Melanie Anzidei.

Messi suffered a hamstring injury in Inter Miami's 3-1 win over Nashville in a CONCACAF Champions Cup game. He had a goal before being pulled 50 minutes into the match.

According to Anzidei, Messi was nearing a return earlier this week and was a game-time decision for Miami's CONCACAF Champions Cup match against Monterrey, though he didn't make an appearance.

Now, he'll be back on the pitch this weekend to try and pick up where he left off. He's notched five goals, three assists, 18 shots and has logged an 82.5 percent pass rate through three games played this year.

In his MLS debut season in 2023, Messie logged a goal, two assists and 20 shots in six games played as Inter Miami finished with a 9-7-18 record.

This season, Inter Miami is off to a 3-2-2 start and sits in second in the Eastern Conference just behind Cincinnati. Luis Suárez, who joined the club this season, is off to a blazing start in his MLS career, notching five goals through the first seven matches.

With the duo of Messi and Suárez back on the pitch together, Inter Miami will be looking for a big match on Saturday.

Inter Miami star Lionel Messi is not expected to play in Saturday's MLS match against D.C. United due to a leg injury.

According to Michelle Kaufman of the Miami Herald, Inter Miami assistant coach Javi Morales said Friday that Messi is "practically ruled out" as the team awaits test results.

Kaufman added that it is unclear if Messi will be able to play in Argentina's friendlies against El Salvador in Philadelphia on March 22 and against Costa Rica in Los Angeles on March 26.

Per ESPN.com, Inter Miami head coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino said this week that Messi left Wednesday's CONCACAF Champions Cup's round of 16 win over Nashville SC in the 50th minute due to a "muscle overload in his right leg."

Martino also said coming out of the win over Nashville that he didn't want to "take any risks" with Messi's health and considered him unlikely to play Saturday.

Before exiting Wednesday's match, the 36-year-old Messi was his dominant self, accounting for one goal and one assist in the victory.

Since arriving in MLS last year after a two-year stint with Paris Saint-Germain, Messi has appeared in 19 matches across all competitions for Inter Miami, scoring 16 goals.

That includes five goals in five matches this season for an Inter Miami team that is tied for the top spot in MLS with seven points through four matches.

Messi is perhaps entering the twilight of his career, so injuries are going to be more common and Inter Miami is likely to be cautious when there are any questions about his health.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner and 2022 FIFA World Cup champion is still an unstoppable force when he plays, though, and sitting him against D.C. United could help ensure that he is fit for even bigger matches as the season rolls on.

It won't be easy to replace a player who has the second-most goals in major competitive soccer history with over 800, but Inter Miami do have another veteran star they can lean on.

Luis Suárez, who was previously Messi's teammate with Barcelona, will likely be the go-to guy from an attacking perspective until Messi returns.

Suárez has over 500 career goals in his own right and four in six matches so far this season with Inter Miami, so he could be Miami's key to success against D.C. United on Saturday.