With wins against Cruz Azul of Mexico and Atlanta United of MLS to start the 2023 Leagues Cup season, Inter Miami have a strong foundation upon which to build.

Just two games into his Major League Soccer career, Lionel Messi has already established himself as a must-see sensation, with three goals already. The Miami star won his first game with a spectacular free kick in the dying seconds to win the game.

The arrival of Lionel Messi, however, coincided with the Leagues Cup rather than the normal MLS season, so his itinerary was a little more complicated to predict. Both victories guarantee the South Florida Club a match at DRV PNK Stadium on August 2 for the Round of 32 of the Leagues Cup.

Inter Miami to face Orlando City next

In the last 32, Orlando City will travel to Fort Lauderdale on August 2 to take on Lionel Messi and Inter Miami. It’s also known as the “Florida Derby.”

Wilder Cartagena scored the game-winning goal in stoppage time as Orlando beat Santos Laguna 3-2 in a 2023 Leagues Cup encounter on Saturday.

After receiving a pass from Cesar Araujo, Cartagena scored with a right-footed effort from the middle of the box. Santos Laguna’s goals came in the 41st and 58th minutes from Ral Lopez and Harold Preciado. Before Cartagena’s game-winning goal, Orlando City scored twice more, thanks to Duncan McGuire and Mauricio Pereyra.

How can I watch the game live and on TV?

Tickets for the August 2 match, official and resale, were listed on Ticketmaster as of Wednesday, ranging in price from $126 to $1,200 (before fees). Messi’s first game was reported as a sellout, while Tuesday’s game was under-attended, as per The Athletic.

All Leagues Cup games will be accessible via the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. In the United States, you may watch some matches on TUDN and Univision.

After having started with 47 participants, the 2023 Leagues Cup Round of 16 will consist of only 16 clubs from MLS and Liga MX. See below for a breakdown of who advanced to the next round.

MLS teams in (14)

  • FC Cincinnati (Central 3 winner)
  • Charlotte FC (South 4 winner)
  • Columbus Crew (Central 1, first or second)
  • FC Dallas (South 4 runner-up)
  • D.C. United (East 2 runner-up)
  • Houston Dynamo FC (South 2 runner-up)
  • Inter Miami CF (South 3 winner)
  • LAFC (bye)
  • Minnesota United FC (Central 2, first or second)
  • New England Revolution (East 4, first or second)
  • New York City FC (East 3, first or second)
  • Orlando City SC (South 2 winner)
  • Philadelphia Union (East 1 winner)
  • Portland Timbers (West 1, first or second)

Liga MX teams in (7)

  • Club América (Central 1, first or second)
  • Club León (West 3 winner)
  • Cruz Azul (South 3 runner-up)
  • FC Juárez (South 1 runner-up)
  • Mazatlán (South 1 winner)
  • Pachuca (bye)
  • Pumas UNAM (East 2 winner)

MLS teams out (4)

  • Atlanta United (South 3)
  • Austin FC (South 1)
  • CF Montréal (East 2)
  • St. Louis CITY SC (Central 1)

Liga MX teams out (2)

  • Necaxa (South 4)
  • Santos Laguna (South 2)

Photo credit: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire