Inter Miami and Pumas punch final tickets to Champions Cup quarterfinals

Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez opened the scoring at National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica, with a penalty kick in the 37th minute.

Published by

Víctor Mendoza

March 14, 2025

3 minutes read

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In Lionel Messi's return, Inter Miami beat visiting Jamaican side Cavalier 2-0 on Thursday to advance to the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Pumas also advanced with a 1-1 draw against Alajuelense.

Messi, who had been sidelined since Feb. 25 with a muscle strain, started the game on the bench as Inter had a comfortable 2-0 lead from the first leg.

Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez opened the scoring at National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica, with a penalty kick converted in the 37th minute.

Messi took the field in the 53rd minute met with boos from the Jamaican crowd.

Just a minute later, the Argentine star came close to scoring with a half-volley shot.

Although Inter did not put their foot on the gas, Messi was hungry for goal, and in the second minute of stoppage time, he received a great through ball from Santiago Morales to beat the Jamaican goalkeeper with a low shot.

Inter will now face Los Angeles FC, an MLS rival, in the quarterfinals, to be held April 1-10.

Pumas holds on against Alajuelense

In the last duel of the round of 16, Mexico's Pumas salvaged a 1-1 draw against Costa Rica's Liga Deportiva Alajuelense and qualified with a 3-1 aggregate score.

Costa Rican Diego Campos scored the first goal in the 39th minute with a free kick that fired the hopes of the home crowd, which packed Alejandro Morera Soto stadium in Alajuela.

The home side was pressing for another goal to level the tie, but Pumas held on until halftime.

In the second half, Pumas came out in better form and scored a reassuring equalizer on a left-footed strike from Argentine Leonardo Suárez in the 71st minute.

Alajuelense coach Alexandre Guimaraes, brought on veteran striker Joel Campbell, but he could do little to lift the tie.

Pumas will face Canada's Vancouver Whitecaps in the quarterfinals, who pulled off the big surprise of the round of 16 by eliminating the Monterrey, the club of Spaniards Sergio Ramos and Sergio Canales.