Columbus vs Inter miami: When Inter Miami plays Columbus in the League Cup Round of 16, Messi will miss his eleventh straight game.

 The defending Leagues Cup champion Inter Miami takes on the reigning MLS champion Columbus Crew on the road in a Round of 16 match on Tuesday night. The Crew "is the best team in the league, by far," according to Miami coach Tata Martino, despite the fact that his team has been atop the MLS standings the entire season and defeated Columbus in a regular-season match in mid-June.

There should be a lot of excitement surrounding Tuesday's game because of those two resumes and the quarterfinal spot that is at risk. However, it's not. Lionel Messi's injury has sidelined him indefinitely, and since the Leagues Cup is only in its second year and takes place at the end of a busy summer of international soccer, there isn't nearly as much excitement as there was for Toyota Stadium's Round of 16 matchup against FC Dallas last year.

Messi made headlines around the world in that game, which was his road debut wearing a Miami uniform. On the eve of the game, the cheapest seats on the secondary market ranged from $413 to $462. Tickets sold out in fifteen minutes.

In contrast to the horde of media that descended on Inter Miami last summer, just six reporters showed up at training on Monday morning for the pregame news conferences with Martino and goalkeeper Drake Callender. Tickets for Tuesday's matchup against the Crew at Lower.com Stadium were available for $25 as of Monday afternoon.

Miami says it is motivated to defend its title and defeat the Crew, who have won their last five home games and are coming off a 4-0 shutout of Sporting Kansas City in the Round of 32, even though this year's Leagues Cup games are not as anticipated.

Miami, on the other hand, made it through 4-3 against Toronto FC in the previous round despite having to use 10 men for the last 70 minutes of play. Callender stated, "I agree with Tata that they're a fantastic team, they're playing really well this season, and they had a good run in the CONCACAF Champions Cup."

The caller stated. "As we approach to play them, we are acutely conscious of that. We're going to be quite busy. They are quick, astute players who a lot of possession and teamwork. We may feel a little bit more pressure because we're playing an elimination game and away from home, but professional players look forward to those kinds of situations.

With a bye in the Group Stage, Diego Rossi, a forward from Uruguay, scored twice to help Columbus win and advance to the Round of 32. DeJuan Jones, a defender for the United States national team, and Dylan Chambost, a French summer addition, both scored. Cucho Hernandez, the MVP of the Colombian MLS Cup, and Darlington Nagbe, a former member of the US national team, are two other players to keep an eye on.

ANKLE INJURY UPDATE FOR MESSI:

After five games due to Copa America and six games due to injury, Miami will be without Messi for the eleventh consecutive game. On July 14, at Hard Rock Stadium, while representing Argentina in the Copa America final, he suffered a ligament injury to his right ankle. He spent several weeks wearing a protective walking boot; he is no longer wearing it, but he is still limited to working out at the gym.