Monterrey beats Inter Miami 2-1 in Leagues Cup without Messi

Inter Miami CF lost 2-1 to C.F. Monterrey in a Leagues Cup group-stage match on Saturday night, with Lionel Messi absent following the death of his father, Jorge Messi, who passed away at age 68 in Argentina. Messi traveled back to his native country on Saturday. The stadium observed a moment of silence before kickoff to honor the late player, with Inter Miami stating: "Our hearts are with our captain, Leo, and the entire Messi family."

Argentine midfielder Rodrigo De Paul opened the scoring for Miami in the 32nd minute with a 25-yard strike that curled inside the left post. In celebration, De Paul removed his No. 7 jersey to reveal Messi's No. 10 jersey underneath, an emotional tribute that drew a yellow card for excessive celebration. Inter Miami held a 1-0 halftime lead despite Monterrey's sustained pressure.

Monterrey equalized in the 47th minute when Belgian striker Hugo Cuypers scored off a rebound. The match remained deadlocked through the 60th minute, with both teams creating limited chances. In the 90th minute, Uruguayan striker Diego Rossi capitalized on poor Miami defending to give Monterrey a 2-1 lead, denying Miami a comeback and sapping momentum from the crowd.

Inter Miami, playing without Luis Suárez (serving a six-game suspension from last season's Leagues Cup final), featured academy forwards Lovens Delinois and Daniel Pinter in their first-team debuts. Miami's record in the tournament stands at 1-1-0 with 3 points after defeating Atlético San Luis 4-2 in their opening match. Their chances of advancing to the knockout stage appear slim with one group-stage match remaining against León on Wednesday. Monterrey (1-1-0, 3 points) will visit Nashville to conclude the group phase.