Lionel Messi is still in the process of recovering from his right ankle ligament injury and will not participate in Inter Miami's upcoming Leagues Cup match against Tigres UANL on Saturday at Houston's NRG Stadium.
Although he has removed the walking boot he used during the initial stages of his recovery, Inter Miami coach Tata Martino stated that Messi has yet to practice with his teammates and is still working with the team's trainers.
The match against Tigres UANL is crucial for determining seeding in the Leagues Cup, as both teams have already secured spots in the Round of 32 after defeating Puebla in the group stage.
Inter Miami's next opponent in the knockout stage will either be MLS rival Toronto FC or LIGA MX's Pachuca. If Miami wins against Tigres, they will face the loser of the Toronto-Pachuca match; if they lose, they will meet the winner.
Despite already progressing to the knockout phase, Martino recognizes the strength of Tigres UANL and views Saturday's match as an important test for his squad.
Inter Miami have performed impressively, winning seven of their last eight matches without Messi since June 1.
MORE: All the latest soccer action | Lionel Messi news
Is Messi playing in Inter Miami vs. Tigres UANL?
No, Lionel Messi will not play for defending champion Inter Miami against Tigres in a Leagues Cup home match on Saturday despite making good progress from an injury problem.
MORE: Full schedule, results, and standings for 2024 Leagues Cup
Inter Miami vs. Tigres live stream, TV channel
- Date: Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024
- Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
- TV channel: —NONE—
- Streaming: MLS Season Pass from Apple TV
This Leagues Cup match will be available to watch around the world exclusively on MLS Season Pass from Apple TV, as is the entire competition.
Because this match was not selected as part of the free slate, it will only be accessible to MLS Season Pass subscribers.
MORE: Which 2024 Leagues Cup games are available to stream for free on MLS Season Pass?
What time is Inter Miami vs. Tigres kickoff?
This 2024 Leagues Cup group match kicks off from NRG Stadium on Saturday, August 3 at 7 p.m. local time in Houston, TX.
Here's how that time translates across all of the time zones across North America:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| Eastern Time | Sat, Aug. 3 | 8 p.m. |
| Central Time | Sat, Aug. 3 | 7 p.m. |
| Mountain Time | Sat, Aug. 3 | 6 p.m. |
| Pacific Time | Sat, Aug. 3 | 5 p.m. |
| Alaska ST | Sat, Aug. 3 | 4 p.m. |
| Hawaii ST | Sat, Aug. 3 | 2 p.m. |