Tigres UNAL is having a great run under Guido Pizarro across two competitions so far. Tigres have five wins out of their first six games in all competitions since the start of the 2025 Apertura.
Tigres are 2nd in the Liga MX standings with nine points after three matchdays. They defeated FC Juarez, the champions Toluca FC, and Club Puebla. In the Leagues Cup, Tigres advanced to the quarterfinals with two wins against MLS teams Houston Dynamo and San Diego FC.
Tigres lost 2-1 to LAFC but had enough points to advance to the next round. They will take on Inter Miami, who have been without Lionel Messi since August 2, when he suffered a hamstring injury against Club Necaxa in the Leagues Cup.
Messi was reportedly out for three weeks, but his recovery has gone well. According to new reports, Messi's return may be sooner than expected, and he could potentially play against Tigres in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals.
Lionel Messi Set For Cameo Against Tigres
According to reporter Daniel Solana, Messi's return is expected to be against Tigres on August 20 at the Chase Stadium. It is not known whether Messi will start the crucial game, but he is expected to play.
Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano teased that Messi will return soon, but he doesn't want to rush his star player. If Messi plays against Tigres, the number '10' may play up to 30 minutes.
The report also suggests that Messi will not play in Inter Miami's MLS fixture against LA Galaxy this weekend. Messi was seen training on his own to fully recover in time for the Leagues Cup, which is a tournament Inter Miami wants to win again.
π¨π Leo Messi doing individual training today β¦ He is expected to start training with the group next week
β ππ ππ?ππ (@psg_chief) August 9, 2025
Heβs coming back soon ππβ½οΈpic.twitter.com/1M8QIYhf03
Tigres will play Club America this weekend in Liga MX at the Estadio Universitario. A win against America could put them top of the league before their match against Inter Miami. If Tigres advance to the semifinal, their opponents would be Orlando City or Toluca FC.
Only 8οΈβ£ teams remain πͺ
β Leagues Cup (@LeaguesCup) August 8, 2025
The best 4 de MLS and los 4 mejores from Liga MX β½οΈπ₯
Solo uno levantarΓ‘ #LeaguesCup2025 π pic.twitter.com/AnCrRsyCTf