Inter Miami officially announced that their Argentine star Lionel Messi suffered a muscle strain in the left hamstring following the friendly match the team played on Sunday, February 8, against Ecuadorian club Barcelona in Ecuador.

In the 57th minute of the match, Messi was substituted by a decision from the team's coach, Javier Mascherano. A brief side conversation took place between them as he left the field, raising questions among the fans about his physical condition.

The American club has not disclosed the official duration of the absence, but press reports indicated that Messi will need at least two weeks of rest to fully recover, with his condition to be assessed before returning to training and matches.

This injury comes at a critical time with the start of the new season in America, placing the coaching staff in the challenging position of carefully managing the physical condition of their key leader.

Inter Miami is set to begin its new season against Los Angeles in the first round of the American league on February 22nd.