Lionel Messi misses third straight game as Inter Miami playoff hopes take hit

• Messi misses match on Saturday with persistent leg injury
• Inter Miami salvage 1-1 draw with Aviles goal in stoppage time
• Fans of club bristling at skyrocketing ticket prices for 2024

Here's how it goes for Inter Miami right now when it comes to the injured Lionel Messi: The team keeps saying he might play, and then he doesn't play.

That pattern held true again Saturday, when the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner was scratched from the lineup for a matchup against New York City FC - a game with significant Major League Soccer playoff implications for both clubs. Messi has a leg injury, the severity of which has not been revealed by Inter Miami.