FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are back in action Tuesday night in the Concacaf Champions Cup tournament.
Inter Miami will host Sporting Kansas City in the second leg of their first-round matchup in the annual tournament, which features soccer clubs from North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
Messi, the reigning MLS MVP and Argentine World champion, is expected to start and play against Sporting Kansas City. But it’s unclear how much he could play.
Messi has played every minute of the last two matches for Inter Miami. He scored in the 1-0 win at Sporting Kansas City last Wednesday in the first leg, and Inter Miami’s 2-2 draw in the MLS season opener against New York City FC last Saturday.
The match is the third in the last six days for both clubs, while Inter Miami will play eight matches in 40 days since their preseason began on Jan. 18. SKC lost its MLS season opener at Austin FC 1-0 on Saturday.
Here’s everything you need to know about Inter Miami-Sporting Kansas City tonight:
What time does Inter Miami vs. Sporting Kansas City match begin?
The game will begin at 8 p.m. ET (9 p.m. in Argentina) on Tuesday night.
How to watch Inter Miami vs. Sporting Kansas City match Tuesday?
The match will be available to watch FS2 in English and ViX in Spanish.
Who leads the Inter Miami-Sporting Kansas City Champions Cup series?
Inter Miami leads 1-0 on aggregate score. Messi scored the only goal in the first-round series.
What score does Inter Miami, Kansas City need to advance?
Inter Miami would advance to the next round with a win or draw by any score.
Kansas City would advance by scoring two or more goals in a one-goal victory (2-1, 3-2, etc.).
If SKC is up 1-0 after regulation, the match will be tied on aggregate score and go to a penalty shootout to determine the winner.
Who does Inter Miami or Sporting Kansas City face next round?
Jamaican league champion Cavalier FC earned a bye to the round of 16 in the Champions Cup tournament, and awaits the winner of Inter Miami vs. Sporting Kansas City.
When is Messi’s next game with Inter Miami?
Inter Miami’s second MLS game of the season will be on the road against the Houston Dynamo on March 2 during the second edition of the league’s ‘Sunday Night Soccer’ showcase.
Sporting Kansas City’s game plan: Slow Messi
Sporting KC coach Peter Vermes has routinely praised Messi before their matchups. Their plan is to deny Messi the ball and not give away possession in transition, but he knows Messi can still enforce his will at any time.
“There’s so many different coaches that have tried over the years, but you really just can’t put a game plan in for him because he’s one of those players, which there’s not very few, that can change the outcome of the game on their own,” Vermes said.
Inter Miami coach Javier Masherano faces tall task leading Messi
Messi is being coached by his former Barcelona and Argentina teammate Javier Mascherano in Inter Miami’s 2025 season. Despite the inherit pressure to help the club reach new heights, Mascherano is taking his new job in stride. It certainly helps having Messi and three other teammates in Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba by his side.
“I’m not under pressure. I’m here, trying to do my best, trying to help the players to have success,” Mascherano said during Inter Miami’s preseason. “We are happy because we are doing the right things. We see on the pitch that we are working (well). It’s important going forward, keeping the same mentality we have now.”
MLS commissioner Don Garber shares excitement for 2025, 2026
Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber believes the next two years will be a pivotal stretch for soccer in the United States. The 2025 MLS season marks the league’s 30th season. The FIFA Club World Cup will be played later this summer in the United States, and the FIFA World Cup next year is co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
“The World Cup is going to raise the attention of the sport in ways that nobody ever dreamed of,” Garber told USA TODAY Sports. “And I tell people who don’t understand soccer or MLS, they have no idea how big the World Cup is going to be. … Just wait, it’s going to be epic.”