Leonardo Campana misses out on international football despite Inter Miami performances

Ecuador are currently involved in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers and, although they have names like Enner Valencia, a 33-year-old striker, and Gonzalo Plata, with whom they started against Argentina, they seem to have forgotten about someone who, in the absence of Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, has led Tata Martino’s side: Leonardo Campana.

Campana turns it on for Inter Miami

Campana was pivotal in Inter Miami’s win against Sporting Kansas City, as he netted a brace to turn the game around just when his team needed it most, and from there, they picked up three more points in their fight for the playoffs.

The Inter Miami attacker has now scored in two consecutive MLS games and was a key part of the team’s run to the US Open Cup final, scoring twice against Cincinnati. But Ecuador manager Félix Sánchez Bas has left Campana out of his squad for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The tournament - three years from now - will be hosted by Mexico, Canada and the United States.

Credit for Campana

Campana deserves credit for stepping up for the MLS side, a side that is missing several key opponents due to the international break, and maybe the 23-year-old can count himself unlucky to be missing out with his country this month. Prior to Lionel Messi’s arrival in Miami, the club were bottom of the Eastern Conference in MLS, a situation that they are reversing game by game.

Inter Miami’s second all-time leading scorer

The Ecuadorian striker’s recent performances have made him the second-highest scorer in Inter Miami history (21 goals), behind only Gonzalo Higuaín (29 goals) and ahead of Messi (11 goals).