LEAGUES CUP
Leagues Cup schedule: Quarter-final bracket confirmed
Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami are one of six MLS sides in the final eight, alongside two teams from Liga MX.
The Leagues Cup Round of 16 concluded on Tuesday night with a thrilling set of fixtures.
Three of the five games went to penalties, while Monterrey needed a 97-minute penalty from new signing Sergio Canales to secure passage to the quarter-finals. Only LAFC, who enjoyed a resounding 4-0 win over Real Salt Lake, had a comfortable evening.
With the 47 teams whittled down to just eight the 2023 Leagues Cup - the first edition of the expanded tournament - is really getting interesting.
Leagues Cup bracket - quarter-final fixtures
The eight teams left in the competition will face off in the Leagues Cup quarter-finals, to be played on Friday 11 August. Here are those fixtures:
Philadelphia Union vs Querétaro (8pm ET)
Inter Miami vs Charlotte FC (8:30pm ET)
Nashville SC vs Minnesota United (8:30pm ET)
LAFC vs Monterrey (10:30pm ET)
All games will be available to watch on Apple TV with the MLS Season Pass.
Lionel Messi aims for Inter Miami’s first trophy
When his move to Miami was formally announced, Lionel Messi pledged to help bring trophies to the club. Founded in 2018, Inter Miami have not yet won any silverware but the arrival of Messi, along with Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, has fuelled a belief that this could be their year.
Messi’s first four performances have certainly left supporters in Miami dreaming of a major trophy before the end of August. The 36-year-old made his debut for the club in their first Leagues Cup fixture and he has dominated the tournament.
He has scored seven goals in four matches to top the scoring charts and fire the team to the quarter-finals. Inter Miami will face Charlotte, one of the lowest-ranked teams in the competition, in the next round and they will be confident of progressing to the final four.
When his signing was announced Messi said that he was optimistic about the team’s future and pledged to help the “beautiful project” in Miami.
“This is a fantastic opportunity and together we will continue to build this beautiful project,” he said. “The idea is to work together to achieve the objectives we set, and I’m very eager to start helping here in my new home.”