Lionel Messi suffers another heartbreak as Leon knock Inter Miami out of Leagues Cup

Lionel Messi made an emotional return for Inter Miami on Wednesday as the Herons suffered a 3-2 defeat to León in the League Cup.

• Messi returned to action following his father’s death.

• León defeated Inter Miami 3-2 to eliminate them from the Leagues Cup.

• Messi recorded five shots and created four chances despite the defeat.

Messi had missed Miami’s previous match, a 2-1 loss to Monterrey, following the death of his father, Jorge Messi. The Argentine superstar returned to action at half-time but could not prevent his side from exiting the competition.

Inter Miami dominated much of the first half and took the lead in the 42nd minute.

Ian Fray delivered a low cross into the six-yard box, with Daniel Pinter getting the final touch to put Miami ahead.

León responded five minutes after the restart when Daniel Arcila beat Rocco Ríos Novo at his near post to level the score.

Miami quickly restored their advantage, with Yannick Bright finding the top-left corner during a scramble inside the penalty area.

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León refused to give up and equalised again shortly after the hour mark. Juan Domínguez produced a composed finish from the edge of the box, curling his effort beyond the Miami goalkeeper.

The Mexican side completed the comeback in the 83rd minute when Arcila scored his second goal of the night with a first-time finish from Diber Cambindo’s knockdown.

Messi’s return came just hours after he appeared to raise questions about his playing future following his father’s death.

In an emotional tribute to Jorge, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner admitted that he was uncertain about how much longer he would continue playing football.

Despite those concerns, Messi returned to the pitch and immediately demonstrated his continued influence for Inter Miami.

The 39-year-old came on at half-time and recorded five shots, matching the joint-highest total among Miami players. He also registered three attempts on target, created four chances and successfully completed two of his three dribble attempts.

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Although Messi could not inspire Miami to victory, his performance offered a reminder of his attacking quality as the club prepares for the remainder of the season.

Elsewhere, Los Angeles FC kept their hopes of reaching the knockout stages alive after defeating Querétaro 5-3 on penalties following a draw in normal time.

Denis Bouanga scored for LAFC in the second half, while he and Son Heung-min both converted their penalties in the shootout.

Orlando City also defeated Atlético San Luis 5-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw, although the MLS side were eliminated from the competition.

For Inter Miami, the focus now shifts away from the League Cup as Messi and his teammates prepare for their upcoming MLS fixtures.