Lionel Messi’s next match for Inter Miami as football icon plays in USA’s MLS, Leagues Cup, Open Cup schedule
Lionel Messi experienced another first in his career when he joined a club midway through their season as a result of his switch to Inter Miami.
The Major League Soccer (MLS) side had plenty of league and cup fixtures left to play when they added the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner to their ranks, with Messi describing himself as “very eager to start helping”.
“This is a fantastic opportunity and together we will continue to build this beautiful project,” the 36-year-old World Cup winner added.
The Sporting News looks at when Messi will make his next appearance for Inter Miami and how his schedule shapes up.
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When is Messi’s next Inter Miami match?
- Tuesday, August 2: vs. Orlando City, 8pm local time (ET)
Inter Miami’s next scheduled match is their Leagues Cup Round of 32 match against Orlando City.
They finished ahead of Houston Dynamo and Santos Laguna to win the South 2 group in the competition and earned the right to potentially prove themselves against one of the greatest players of all time and his team-mates.
Mexican team Santos Laguna lost 3-2 to Orlando on July 30 to decide the standings.
Inter Miami advanced to the first knockout stage at a canter, Messi scoring once in their 2-1 win at Cruz Azul on July 21 and twice in their 4-0 home mauling of Atlanta United four days later.
That match also saw him set one up for Robert Taylor – the scorer of all three of Inter’s other goals across those two games.
Inter Miami fixtures 2023
Messi’s spectacular free-kick against Cruz Azul on July 21 and dismantling of Atlanta were his first goals for his new club and helped him take his new country by storm shortly after arriving.
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.
Fans can stream matches 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 | 8pm | Home | Round of 32 match vs Orlando City |
| 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 |
MORE: Inter Miami can still make MLS playoffs with Lionel Messi
U.S. Open Cup
Inter Miami reached the semifinal of the competition before Messi and friends joined. This will be a realistic chance for the side 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 |