Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF, after topping their Leagues Cup group, await a Florida Derby in the Round of 32 when hosting rivals Orlando City SC on Wednesday evening.
How to watch and stream
When
- Wednesday, Aug. 2 | 8 pm ET/5 pm PT
Where
- DRV PNK Stadium | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
The winner of this Knockout Round match will meet either FC Dallas or Mazatlán FC in the Round of 16 (contested Aug. 6-8), raising the stakes for Messi in his third-ever Inter Miami match. If the score is tied after regulation time, penalty kicks will decide the winner.
Teams are building towards the Leagues Cup final on Aug. 19. Aside from the trophy and regional bragging rights, prize money and three 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup berths are on the line.
Messi has been spectacular since debuting for Inter Miami, tallying 3g/1a in two games as his new club finished atop South 3. The Argentine superstar produced an iconic MLS moment against Cruz Azul when scoring a 94th-minute free-kick winner, then notched a brace vs. Atlanta in his first start since joining the Herons in mid-July.
All the while, Inter Miami have also benefitted from the elite, steadying presence of Sergio Busquets in his defensive midfield spot. Left back Jordi Alba, who alongside Messi and Busquets completes the trio of ex-FC Barcelona legends now in RosaNegra, is yet to debut. New U22 Initiative signings Diego Gómez and Facundo Farías will soon join the midfield as well, further fueling this Messi-led resurgence.
Inter Miami, hoping to make it three straight wins since Messi joined, must overcome rivals Orlando City to keep their Leagues Cup dream alive. If they lose the Florida Derby, it's a long pause until MLS action resumes on Aug. 20 against Charlotte FC.
Orlando City are surging with confidence after Wilder Cartagena's 92nd-minute game-winner against Santos Laguna sent them atop South 2 and booked a Leagues Cup do-or-die test with Messi and Inter Miami.
While the Lions hold an all-time series lead against their Sunshine State neighbors (6W-3L-2D in 11 meetings), none of those triumphs came against Messi – arguably the greatest soccer player of all-time and a seven-time Ballon d'Or winner. Head coach Oscar Pareja's group, chasing another trophy after lifting the US Open Cup in 2022, must meet the challenge head-on.
The Lions have plenty of difference-makers of their own, most notably goalkeeper Pedro Gallese and winger Facundo Torres. Will it be enough to keep dancing or will the Lions fizzle out and turn the page to an Aug. 20 MLS match against Chicago Fire FC?
