Things have begun to get complicated for Inter Miami. The MLS club recently lost 2-1 to Houston Dynamo in the US Open Cup final without their star captain Lionel Messi. The team’s captain has been out of Miami’s squad since the international break, because of what was earlier reported as “muscle fatigue”. Now, an ESPN pundit has criticized Inter Miami’s camp including coach Tata Martino for not publicly disclosing the extent of Messi’s injury.

Messi has been on the sidelines since scoring for Argentina in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Ecuador. The Argentine captain has barely played any minutes since that game, having even been withdraw in the 37th minute against Toronto in Inter Miami’s MLS fixture against the Canadian club. ESPN FC’s Herculez Gomez has hit out at Inter Miami and their camp for hiding Messi’s complete injury details, which he dubbed as a “circus”.

Herculez Gomez criticizes Inter Miami for not disclosing full details of Messi’s current injury

Herculez Gomez has taken shots at Inter Miami for keeping Messi’s injury details under wraps and has suggested that the club and the MLS should follow the NFL’s rules that entail that all injuries must be disclosed.

Speaking on ESPN FC’s podcast, Gomez said, “Every single NFL coach is obligated to disclose these injuries!” “Why isn’t Major League Soccer obligating these teams, to Miami, to do this?” “There are lots of people who are hoping Messi makes a trip to Chicago, who are hoping Messi makes a trip their hometown.” “I have friends in Los Angeles who made a trip to Fort Lauderdale hoping to see Messi.”

Further suggesting that this non-disclosure of Messi’s injury is being done deliberately, Gomez added, “I’m hoping these things are disclosed. I’m hoping they don’t think well we need to keep people tuned in, we need to keep the eyeballs going to keep the circus going. Messi’s not a circus!”

Meanwhile, Messi’s transfer to the MLS has seen Inter Miami’s popularity soar significantly since his arrival.

WATCH THIS STORY: Soccer Stars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo Make a Huge Assist for E-sports Space

Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami amongst the most popular soccer clubs in the world

According to a new report released by Deportes&Finazas, Messi’s Inter Miami rank 5th in the world in terms of global popularity and appeal. The report is based on Instagram interactions from August 2023. Inter Miami are 5th on the list with 130 million interactions. However, Messi’s old rival Cristiano Ronaldo‘s Al Nassr are 3rd on the list with 157 million interactions.

But worldwide popularity aside, Messi will surely look to regain his fitness and push on all fronts for Inter Miami as soon as he’s back on the pitch. Who knows? Maybe Miami could still make the playoffs in dramatic fashion.

Also read: Hours After Destroying Daryl Morey in a Club, James Harden Mercilessly Torn to Shreds for Awkward Moment with Lionel Messi’s Teammate