Messi out with hamstring strain as Puerto Rico match delayed

Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi runs with the ball past Matias Lugo during a friendly match between Ecuador's Barcelona and Inter Miami at the Banco Pichincha Stadium in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on February 7, 2026. (Marcos PIN / AFP)

Lionel Messi missed practice for Inter Miami on Wednesday with a nagging left hamstring strain that pushed the squad to delay a match in Puerto Rico, the MLS club announced.

The Argentine star and Inter Miami captain suffered the injury in a 2-2 draw with Barcelona de Guayaquil in Ecuador last Saturday.

Messi underwent further testing that determined the extent of the strain.

"Unfortunately, I felt some muscle tightness in the last match," Messi said in a team statement.

Exactly when Messi might return is uncertain, the club saying his gradual return to training "will depend on his clinical and functional progress in the coming days."

The defending champion Herons open the 2026 MLS campaign at Los Angeles FC on February 21.

Inter Miami was supposed to face Ecuadoran side Independiente del Valle on Friday in Puerto Rico but the team announced the match has been delayed to February 26 -- three days before they are set to play at MLS rival Orlando.

"We were really looking forward to seeing you," Messi told Puerto Rico fans in the statement. "So together with the club we worked on finding an alternative date to be able to travel and play in Puerto Rico.

"We know the excitement and the desire you have to watch an Inter Miami match, and it will be very special to make it happen soon."