Inter Miami CF have booked their place in the knockout stage of the 2025 Leagues Cup after defeating Pumas UNAM 3-1 in their final group stage match. The win came even without their captain, Lionel Messi, who was sidelined due to injury.

Messi missed the game at Chase Stadium after picking up a hamstring injury during the match against Necaxa on August 2. Although he couldn’t join his teammates on the field, the Argentine star was seen celebrating joyfully from the sidelines each time Inter Miami scored.

Pumas opened the scoring early in the game, but Inter Miami came back strong. Goals from Luis Suárez, Rodrigo De Paul, and Tadeo Allende gave the team a well-deserved victory and sealed their spot in the next round.

Javier Mascherano’s side finished the group stage with eight points. They beat both Atlas and Pumas and played a draw against Necaxa. That match went to penalties, and Inter Miami secured an extra point by winning the shootout 5-4.

The Leagues Cup now uses a point-based format in the group stage, where each match result helps decide a team’s position in the standings for the knockout phase.

Inter Miami are no strangers to this tournament. They won the very first edition two years ago but were knocked out in the round of 16 last season by the Columbus Crew. With this latest win, they now look ahead with hopes of reclaiming the title—even if their captain is still recovering.