LEAGUES CUP 2023
Who will Lionel Messi and Inter Miami play in the Leagues Cup 2023 round of 16? When is the game?
Messi now has five goals in three matches for the Herons thanks to a double in the round of 32 win over Orlando City.
It’s been a big turnaround in a short space of time for David Beckham’s Inter Miami. Heading into the Leagues Cup, they were bottom of the MLS’ Eastern Conference and indeed the overall standings after losing 14 of their first 22 league games of the season. The Herons still find themselves in those predicaments but the feel-good factor surrounding the club is arguably unmatched by any other team in the United States after three successive wins in the Leagues Cup. You can call it the Lionel Messi effect.
Five goals in three Leagues Cup matches for the ex-Barça star
The Argentina captain announced in June that he would be moving to DRV PNK Stadium once his contract at Paris Saint-Germain had expired and to say that he has hit the ground running since moving to Florida would be something of an understatement. A free-kick winner in injury time on his debut against Cruz Azul was followed by a brace in a 4-0 thumping of Atlanta United to ensure Inter Miami qualified for the knockout stages. On Wednesday, Messi bagged another double in “El Clásico del Sol” against Orlando City, leading the Herons into the round of 16.
A new challenge for Messi and Inter Miami in the round of 16
The former Barcelona star will face a new challenge in the next stage of the competition, as he will have his first away-day experience with his new team, who have played all three of their Leagues Cup matches so far in Miami.
Next up for The Herons is a trip to Texas to take on FC Dallas, who narrowly edged out Liga MX side Mazatlán 2-1 in the round of 32. The match will be played at Toyota Stadium in Frisco on Sunday 6 August, although the kickoff time has yet to be confirmed.
The Toros find themselves halfway up the Western Conference and the overall MLS standings but Messi’s arrival in Florida means league positions now count for little as far as Inter Miami are concerned. They have been installed as favourites to win the competition having also been strengthened by the signings of Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.