Diego Rossi's two second-half goals launched the reigning MLS champion Columbus Crew over defending champion Inter Miami 3-2 to reach the Leagues Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday.

Argentine star Lionel Messi was ruled out on Monday by Inter Miami coach Gerardo Martino for the defending champions' Leagues Cup knockout match on Tuesday at reigning MLS champion Columbus.

Messi suffered a right ankle ligament injury in last month's Copa America final, helping Argentina to victory over Colombia, but Martino said the 37-year-old Argentine striker is getting better.

Paraguay's Matias Rojas opened the scoring in the ninth minute and Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez added an insurance goal in the 72nd minute to deliver Inter Miami's triumph.

Lionel Messi will not play for Inter Miami as the defending Leagues Cup champions begin their repeat bid on Saturday (Sunday morning in Bangladesh time) at home against Puebla, Miami coach Gerardo Martino said Friday.

Lionel Messi will miss Inter Miami's next two Major League Soccer matches after injuring his right ankle in Argentina's Copa America final triumph, Miami coach Gerardo Martino said Tuesday.

The league's top talents will face the Mexican League All-Stars on July 24 at Columbus, Ohio.

Messi's star turn raised the profile for MLS in the United States.

Inter, upset at home by Atlanta on Wednesday, appeared to be heading for another costly loss after a 68th-minute Luis Suarez own goal left St.Louis 3-2 up heading into the final minutes.

Lobjanidze stunned a star-studded Miami line-up with two long-range strikes either side of half-time to fire Atlanta into a 2-0 lead.

Inter Miami rested Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez but still managed to extend their unbeaten run in Major League Soccer to 10 games with a hard fought 2-1 win at the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday.

Messi, 36, has become the face of MLS since joining Miami last July, but he has yet to make an appearance in Vancouver.

Despite the return of Lionel Messi to the starting line-up, after he missed the 0-0 draw at Orlando on Wednesday, Miami struggled to create chances against a very well organized D.C. defense.

Lionel Messi's record $20.45 million annual salary from Inter Miami makes him by far the best paid player in Major League Soccer but also puts him ahead of the entire squads of 25 of the league's clubs, according to data released by the MLS Players Association on Thursday.

Inter Miami's five-match winning run came to an end on Wednesday as, without the injured Lionel Messi, they were held to a 0-0 draw at Orlando City.

Messi briefly left the field for attention after a heavy challenge and while the Argentine was on the sidelines, his team won a free-kick in the area -- where the World Cup winner can be so deadly.

Messi's five assists, which all came in the second half, are a new record for an MLS game and he now has 10 goals and 12 assists in eight league appearances so far this season.

Without Messi, Miami had fallen to a 4-0 defeat to the Red Bulls in New York in March, but they more than avenged that loss with their merciless second half demolition job.

A crowd over 65,612 turned up at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, the stadium the Revolution share with the NFL's New England Patriots, to see the Argentine World Cup winner.

Everything Miami was creating was coming through Messi, who flashed a snapshot wide before moments later whipping in a cross for a Gomez header which was saved by Panicco's feet.