Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi suffered an injury on Sunday that forced him to leave Inter Miami's Leagues Cup match against Necaxa in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The injury occurred in the 11th minute when the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner ran into Necaxa defender Alexis Pena and tumbled to the ground. Moments later when Messi was alone in the midfield, he sat on the ground and waited until trainers arrived.

Once tended to, the star forward footballer limped off the field under his own power.

What do we know about the injury?

After Miami earned a 5-4 penalty shootout win over Necaxa following a 2-2 draw, manager Javier Mascherano said Messi was experiencing "hamstring discomfort."

"Well, he felt discomfort, and we will not be able to know until tomorrow how severe the injury is," Mascherano said after the match.

"There's probably something there. Maybe not as important because he was really not in pain. But he did feel a pull."

Messi, 38, joined Inter Miami in 2023 and is the club's captain. He is the joint top scorer in Major League Soccer, the top-flight US league, with 18 goals and had two assists in Miami's first Leagues Cup match against Atlas Guadalajara. 

The former Barcelona superstar has dealt with various fitness issues during his time in Inter Miami, whose ownership group is headed by David Beckham. In 2023, Messi appeared in just half of Inter Miami's 12 MLS games due to minor ailments and injuries. In 2024, he dealt with a torn leg muscle he sustained while playing for Argentina in the 2024 Copa America final.

Edited by: Darko Janjevic