Messi suffered ‘minor muscle injury' in right leg. Here is latest update
He underwent medical exams to determine the extent of the injury and the timetable for his return is undetermined. 'His medical clearance will depend on his clinical progress and response to treatment,' said the press release.
Messi fell to the ground and clutched his leg after being challenged by defenders Raul Sanchez and Alexi Pena at the 11-minute mark of the game. He stumbled, got up, tried to walk it off, but then sat down and sought medical attention. Messi was clearly dejected as he removed his captain's armband and headed to the tunnel.
The 38-year-old Argentine star had been on a hot streak of late with a brace in six of seven matches. He scored 18 goals and had nine assists in 18 MLS games and played 90-plus minutes in 20 matches in a row, including four in the Club World Cup.
He had two assists in Miami's 2-1 Leagues Cup opening win against Atlas last week and was named MLS Player of the Month.
'Obviously, we feel it when he is not on the field, he's the best player in the world,' said goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo, who made a big save in the penalty shootout. 'We want to have him playing. But these are things that can happen to anyone. We have to carry on without him. No excuses.'
Midfielder Fede Redondo added: 'He's our captain, our leader, and we hope he recovers as soon as possible.'
Miami will face Mexican club Pumas on Wednesday at Chase Stadium in the third and final group stage match. The top four MLS teams and top four Liga MX teams advance to the quarterfinals.
As of Sunday night, with 15 of 18 MLS teams having played two games, Miami sat in second place in the MLS side of the bracket with five points (one regulation win for three points, one penalty shootout win for two points). The Portland Timbers, led by former Inter Miami coach Phil Neville, were in first place with six points.
Minnesota and Columbus were third and fourth with four points each.
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And then he left, in highly acrimonious circumstances, by taking advantage of a clause in his contract that enabled him to leave for just €50 million (£43m/$57m) - half of which he would pocket himself, with the other half going to an blindsided Barcelona. Of course, the Blaugrana only had themselves to blame for previously agreeing to such conditions but it was hard not to feel a lot of sympathy for Xavi, who had always stood by Dembele. "I am a little disappointed with Dembele," the coach confessed in the summer of 2023. "He has decided to go to PSG. And there is nothing we can do." 'Worst game I've ever seen anyone have' Barca, though, really were better off without a €148m (£128m/$169m) signing who had never managed to score more than eight league goals in a single season for the club. "I like good players, but I prefer committed players," Laporta advisor Enric Masip told SPORT. "Dembele had already demonstrated his lack of commitment when he did not renew. It's very easy to kiss the crest when you score a goal or sell smoke on social media. It's legitimate to want to earn more, but when you are committed, you don't look at the money and you don't say one thing one day, and another the next. "So, I'd rather play a kid from La Masia or with Raphinha, who gives his all in every training session, than someone who gives you a performance of 9/10 and a 3/10 the next day." Masip's comments may have been motivated by bitterness, but his point about Dembele's maddening lack of consistency was perfectly valid - and gets to the heart of the Frenchman's exclusion from GOAL's World-Class Club because only now, at 28 years of age, is he delivering on a regular basis at the very highest level. Remember, we're talking about the biggest waste of money in Barcelona's history (which is really saying something), an attacker who has never scored a single goal at a major international tournament (despite representing France in four). 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Indeed, it's often forgotten that Dembele, much like PSG, only clicked in the Champions League on January 22, during the crucial come-from-behind win over Manchester City. He hadn't scored before that night and had been dropped for the matchday-two meeting with Arsenal for disciplinary reasons before being suspended for the matchday-six clash with Red Bull Salzburg after stupidly getting himself sent off against Bayern Munich a fortnight beforehand. Everything changed after the City comeback, though - not least due to Luis Enrique's decision to redeploy Dembele as a centre-forward, which was hailed by Montpellier boss Jean-Louis Gasset as "the idea of the century". It certainly paid off spectacularly for PSG, with Dembele going on to contribute eight goals to the Parisians' first-ever European Cup win, including crucial strikes at Anfield and the Emirates. Having also racked up more assists (six) than any of his team-mates during their triumphant Champions League campaign, it's easy to understand why Dembele is said to be leading the race for the 2025 Ballon d'Or - a glorified popularity contest nearly always won by goal-scorers. Former France international Ludovic Giuly even pointed out at the turn of the year that Dembele would become a contender if he could just add goals to his game. However, just as it would be incorrect to call Dembele PSG's most important player (Vitinha and Achraf Hakim, for example, are far more integral to how Luis Enrique's team operates), it would also be wrong to claim that he's proven himself 'world-class' on the back of six fruitful months. True greatness is measured over a far longer timeframe - as Dembele knows himself. The real test There was a lovely moment shortly after PSG's Club World Cup win over Inter Miami when Messi presented a delighted Dembele with not only his shirt, but also his shorts and the boots he'd worn during the game in Atlanta. Dembele even took to social media to express his joy at being reunited with his former Barcelona team-mate - or, as the Frenchman called him, "the greatest of all time". Messi was clearly happy to see Dembele too, and must have been thrilled to see how the talented teenager that lost his way at Camp Nou has finally found happiness at Parc des Princes. Dembele even admitted himself that while he played in some "amazing" sides at Barca alongside "the GOAT", Luis Enrique's "is the one I enjoy the most". The challenge now, though, for Dembele is to carry his fantastic form during the first half of 2025 into a World Cup year and finally make a major impact on the game's grandest stage. He's showcased his world-class credentials to thrilling effect over the past six months, but legitimate doubt remains over whether Dembele can deliver over an extended period of time. We know he has the talent to do so. But does he have the desire? As has always been the case, everything depends on Dembele.
