Club León eliminate Inter Miami 3-2 in Leagues Cup exit

Club León defeated Inter Miami 3-2 to secure their place in the Leagues Cup knockout stage. The result ended Inter Miami's tournament run despite a second-half appearance from Lionel Messi.

Messi began the match on the bench following his return from Argentina after the death of his father, Jorge, on Saturday. The Argentine player entered the game at the start of the second half and received a loud ovation from the home supporters. This marked his first match since the family tragedy.

Inter Miami initially took the lead in the 42nd minute through Dániel Pintér, who finished a sequence involving Ian Fray. Club León responded early in the second half when Daniel Arcila equalised in the 50th minute. Although Yannick Bright put the hosts ahead again three minutes later, Juan Pablo Domínguez levelled the score for the Mexican side in the 61st minute.

Daniel Arcila scored his second goal of the match in the 83rd minute to give León a 3-2 lead. Messi had opportunities late in the game to find an equaliser, but he could not score. León held the lead until the final whistle to complete the comeback.

Inter Miami finished the group stage with three points and failed to rank among the top four MLS teams needed to advance. The club won the Leagues Cup in 2023 and reached the final last year. Club León progresses to the next round with a perfect record of three wins from three matches. Inter Miami now focuses on the MLS regular season.