Luis Suárez scored twice from the penalty spot to fire Inter Miami into the Leagues Cup semi-finals with a 2-1 win over Mexican giants Tigres UANL on Wednesday night, as Lionel Messi was ruled out through injury.
Messi, who has been managing a minor muscle strain since early August, made a goalscoring return from the bench against LA Galaxy at the weekend.
But Inter Miami assistant coach Javier Morales confirmed the Argentine was left out against Tigres as a precaution.
“We rely on how Leo feels, and it wasn’t the best,” Morales said. “We preferred not to take risks.”
In a tense quarter-final that produced few clear chances, it was veteran Uruguay forward Suárez who provided the cutting edge.
The 38-year-old converted from the spot in the 20th minute after Javier Aquino handled in the box, and later struck the winner in the 87th after another Aquino handball confirmed by VAR.
Tempers flared throughout, with Suárez himself intervening to calm teammates after a heated exchange involving Rodrigo De Paul.
Miami coach Javier Mascherano was sent off at halftime for protesting timekeeping decisions and watched the second half from the stands.
Tigres fought back through Ángel Correa’s smart finish in the 67th minute, but Suárez’s second penalty sealed Miami’s passage to the last four, keeping alive hopes of reclaiming the trophy they lifted in 2023.
Miami will face Orlando City in an all-Florida semi-final after Orlando eliminated Deportivo Toluca F.C. 6-5 on penalties, goalkeeper Pedro Gallese both saving twice and scoring the decisive spot-kick.
Beyond silverware, the stakes remain high: both Leagues Cup finalists and the winner of the third-place match will earn places in the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup, with the champion going straight into the round of 16.