Lionel Messi is taking North America by storm after scoring in his first two matches for his new club Inter Miami CF.
Both matches came in the Leagues Cup competition, and he scored a dramatic free-kick goal against Cruz Azul on July 21, and then registered two goals and an assist against Atlanta United on July 25.
The Argentine left Europe for the first time in his professional career at the end of June 2023, still riding the high of winning the FIFA World Cup for his country last December. He spent 17 years with Barcelona before moving to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021.
His declaration and subsequent move to the Sunshine State have been in development for a while. His former manager Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino replaced Phil Neville as Miami’s head coach, and his former Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba have joined him to collect silverware in the States.
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He even has been spotted shopping at Florida’s top chain supermarket, Publix. Safe to say he’s adapting and adjusting just fine in America.
Kickoff for Inter Miami’s game against Cruz Azul is set for 8 p.m. ET on Univision and TUDN in the U.S. Fans can also stream the match via Apple TV+’s MLS Season Pass and Fubo, which offers a free trial.
Here’s what you need to know about Lionel Messi’s schedule with Inter Miami CF as the club winds down its 2023 season.
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Lionel Messi, Inter Miami 2023 schedule
Below are the remaining games for Inter Miami that Messi will be a part of. Times and dates are TBD for the rest of the Leagues Cup competition and U.S. Open Cup final should they advance.
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Leagues Cup
In his first two matches with Inter Miami, Lionel Messi lifted the club into the Leagues Cup Round of 32 thanks to two home wins that he helped orchestrate.
Date | Time (ET) | Home / Away | Opponent |
July 21 | 8 p.m. | Home | Inter Miami 2-1 Cruz Azul |
July 25 | 7:30 p.m. | Home | Inter Miami 4-0 Atlanta United |
Aug. 2-4 | TBD | Home | Round of 32 match vs. TBD |
Aug. 6-8 | TBD | TBD | Round of 16 |
Aug. 11-12 | TBD | TBD | Quarterfinals |
Aug. 15. | TBD | TBD | Semifinals |
Aug. 19 | TBD | TBD | Final |
MLS
After the Leagues Cup is out of the way, Inter Miami will have 12 MLS matchdays left in a bid to reach the MLS Cup playoffs.
If the club finishes in one of the top nine places in the Eastern Conference, they’ll advance to the playoffs. But they have ground to make up since the club currently ranks in 15th and last place in the conference with only 18 points (5W-14L-3D).
Date | Time (ET) | Home/Away | Opponent |
Aug. 20 | 7:30 p.m. | Home | Charlotte FC |
Aug. 26 | 7:30 p.m. | Away | NY Red Bulls |
Aug. 30 | 7:30 p.m. | Home | Nashville SC |
Sept. 3 | 10:30 p.m. | Away | LAFC |
Sept. 9 | 7:30 p.m. | Home | Sporting KC |
Sept. 16 | 7:30 p.m. | Away | Atlanta United |
Sept. 20 | 7:30 p.m. | Home | Toronto FC |
Sept. 24 | 7:30 p.m. | Away | Orlando City |
Sept. 30 | 7:30 p.m. | Home | NYCFC |
Oct. 4 | 8:30 p.m. | Away | Chicago Fire |
Oct. 7 | 7:30 p.m. | Home | FC Cincinnati |
Oct. 21 | 6 p.m. | Away | Charlotte FC |
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U.S. Open Cup
Inter Miami reached the semifinal of the competition before Messi and friends joined. This will be a realistic chance to win the oldest soccer trophy in the USA.
Date | Time (ET) | Home/Away | Opponent | Round |
Aug. 23 | 7 p.m. | Away | FC Cincinnati | Semifinal |
Sept. 27 | TBD | TBD | TBD | Final |