The Crew will have to wait to face Lionel Messi, as Inter Miami will be without its star forward when Columbus travels to Fort Lauderdale for the first meeting of the season between the two clubs on Wednesday.

Messi, captain of Argentina's national team, will miss his second straight match for Miami due to international duty. The 36-year-old is representing Argentina in Copa America, a tournament he won with his native country back in 2021, and is scheduled to face Canada on Thursday in a group-stage match.

Since Messi signed with Miami in July 2023, Columbus has yet to have the opportunity to face him. The last match between the Crew and Miami took place on July 3, and the Messi deal officially went through for Miami on July 15.

The Crew's next regular-season matchup against Miami is scheduled for Oct. 2 at Lower.com Field, but there is a chance Columbus faces Miami at an earlier date in Leagues Cup play, with the round of 16 being the first the clubs can meet in the tournament. There is also a possibility that Messi will be playing in Columbus before the next Crew-Miami match, during the MLS All Star game on July 24.

More: Haslams, Columbus Crew coach Wilfried Nancy reflect on problem with Champions Cup format

Despite Messi already missing seven matches for Miami during the MLS regular season, he is tied for third in the MLS Golden Boot race, the honor given to the player who scores the most goals throughout the regular season. Messi has scored 12 times already in 2024.

bmackay@dispatch.com

@brimackay15

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Lionel Messi out for Inter Miami vs Columbus Crew due to Copa America