Messi out indefinitely with ligament injury in ankle

Lionel Messi will be out indefinitely with a ligament injury in his right ankle, Inter Miami announced Tuesday, two days after Messi’s emotional early exit from the Copa América final. His availability will be determined based on his recovery progress.

Inter Miami coach Tata Martino told reporters earlier Tuesday that Messi would likely be sidelined for at least the team’s next two games, which are scheduled against Toronto on Wednesday and Chicago on Saturday. Martino said at the time that further testing was needed to determine the severity of injury and the team later announced Messi underwent the medical evaluation.

The Argentina and Inter Miami captain appeared to slip on the pitch at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami during Sunday’s final, which Argentina won over Colombia after Lautaro Martínez’s goal in extra time. Messi went down without any contact from another player and was shown on the Fox broadcast sobbing on the bench with his ankle wrapped in ice after exiting midway through the second half.

Messi called for medical assistance after going down, and staff briefly treated him on the field before he walked off the pitch with his right boot removed.

He returned to the field after the game to lift the trophy alongside his teammates as Argentina won a record-breaking 16th Copa América title, which will likely be Messi’s final Copa appearance.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said after the match that Messi was desperate not to come off but was left with no choice.

“Leo has something that everyone should have,” Scaloni said. “He’s the best in history and, even with an ankle like that, he doesn’t want to go off.”

“It’s not because he’s selfish, but because he doesn’t want to let his teammates down,” Scaloni continued. “He was born to be on a pitch.”

Messi — the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner — has 187 caps for his country, has scored 109 goals and added 58 assists, which are all Argentine records. The victory marked Messi’s third major tournament win as a senior international after winning the 2021 Copa América and captaining Argentina to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

He also won an Olympic gold medal as an under-23 at the Beijing Games in 2008.

Messi had scored 12 goals in 12 appearances in MLS this season while adding nine assists before the Copa América tournament.

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(Photo: Buda Mendes / Getty Images)