Major League Soccer

MIAMI — A year after his dramatic Inter Miami debut in the Leagues Cup, Lionel Messi will have to watch the 2024 tournament opener from a stadium suite on Saturday as he recovers from a ligament injury in his right ankle.

Gotham FC has signed 13-year-old McKenna “Mak” Whitham to a multi-year contract through 2028. The guaranteed deal makes the U.S. Youth National Team forward the youngest contracted player in the NWSL. Defending champion Gotham said it signed Whitham via the NWSL’s U-18 entry mechanism. The contract will be effective Jan. 1. In addition, the club is also signing Whitham to a National Team Replacement contract, which will allow her to be available for selection in upcoming matches during the international window. The California native will turn 14 on Saturday.

The MLS expansion San Diego FC have signed Northern Ireland international Patrick “Paddy” McNair to a three-year contract with a club option for a fourth year. The defender joins San Diego FC as a free agent after the completion of his contract with Middlesbrough in June. SDFC reached an agreement with West Bromwich Albion F.C. of the English Championship to loan McNair for the remainder of 2024. McNair will occupy an international roster spot and join SDFC in January pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate and P-1 Visa. San Diego FC will begin play in February.

MIAMI — A year ago this week, Lionel Messi made his storybook debut with Inter Miami, coming off the bench to score a stoppage time free kick and secure a 2-1 victory against Mexican team Cruz Azul in the inaugural Leagues Cup, a month-long tournament between all the teams from MLS and Liga …

As expected, Lionel Messi, who is out indefinitely with a ligament injury to his right ankle, will not participate in the MLS All-Star Game in Columbus, Ohio, on Wednesday. Messi’s Inter Miami teammate Luis Suarez also was dropped from the All-Star roster on Monday as he rests his knees afte…

Gabriel Pec scored a first-half goal, Riqui Puig and Joseph Paintsil found the net in the second half and the Los Angeles Galaxy held off the Portland Timbers for a 3-2 victory. Pec scored the only goal of the first half in the 38th minute to give the Galaxy (14-5-7) the lead. Paintsil and Puig had assists on the score for the Western Conference leaders. Puig used Paintsil’s ninth assist of the season and one from Diego Fagúndez in the 48th minute to give LA a two-goal lead. It was Puig’s eighth of the season to go along with 11 assists. Jonathan Rodríguez answered in the 52nd minute to pull the Timbers (10-9-6) within a goal.

Cole Bassett scored on a penalty kick in the 89th minute to lift the Colorado Rapids to a weather-delayed 3-2 victory over Real Salt Lake. Bassett was fouled by Justen Glad and delivered the winning kick, beating RSL goalkeeper Gavin Beavers to the top center. Andrés Gómez scored two goals for his fourth brace of the season for Real Salt Lake. Gómez staked RSL to an early 1-0 lead but the Rapids went ahead 2-1 when Jonathan Lewis and Sam Vines scored four minutes apart late in the half. Bassett assisted on both goals. After the start of the second half was delayed for nearly two hours due to lightning and severe weather, Gómez tied it in the 49th minute.

Denis Bouanga scored on a first-half penalty kick before adding a second-half goal and Los Angeles FC snapped the Seattle Sounders’ five-match win streak with a 3-0 victory. LAFC (14-5-5) took a 1-0 lead just 16 minutes into the match after a hand ball foul on Seattle defender Nouhou Tolo following a video review led to Bouanga’s PK. Mateusz Bogusz gave LAFC a two-goal lead when he scored unassisted in the 26th minute off a set piece. It was his 13th goal of the season. Bouanga found the net for the 16th time this season to make it 3-0 in the 74th minute. Stefan Frei, who posted the 112th shutout of his career to tie Kevin Hartman for second on the all-time list his last time out, had just one save for the Sounders (10-8-7).