Inter Miami suffered a late setback in the Leagues Cup after Diego Rossi scored in the 90th minute to seal Monterrey’s 2-1 victory over the Major League Soccer side on Saturday night.
Miami played without Lionel Messi, who returned to his native Argentina following the death of his father, Jorge Messi, earlier in the day.
The club has not confirmed when the 39-year-old forward will return to action.
Despite Messi’s absence, Inter Miami took the lead in the 32nd minute through Rodrigo De Paul, who produced a stunning long-range effort that found the bottom corner.
De Paul celebrated the goal by briefly removing his No. 7 shirt to reveal Messi’s No. 10 jersey underneath, a tribute to his Argentina and club teammate. The gesture earned him a yellow card.
Monterrey responded quickly after the break, with Hugo Cuypers equalising in the 47th minute before Rossi completed the comeback with a late winner.
Rossi, who joined Monterrey from Columbus Crew on July 3, struck in the final minute to hand his side a crucial victory in the group stage of the competition.
The defeat leaves Inter Miami’s hopes of progressing to the knockout stage under pressure, with the 2023 Leagues Cup champions now on three points from two matches.
Miami had entered the game in strong form after Messi scored twice and provided an assist in their opening Leagues Cup fixture, a 4-2 win over Atletico San Luis.
The Argentine captain had only recently returned to club action after taking a two-week break following Argentina’s World Cup campaign, where they finished runners-up.
Both teams will conclude the group stage on Wednesday, with Inter Miami hosting León while Monterrey travel to face Nashville.
