Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami can clinch 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup spot with a win vs New England

Inter Miami’s push for continental football next year has been full of twists, and the latest news could finally give Lionel Messi and his teammates some clarity. After a stretch in which results elsewhere in the league kept changing the picture, the Herons now know exactly what they need to do in their next match.

According to Inter Miami insider Jose Armando, the team will qualify for the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup if it beats New England Revolution in Sunday’s clash at Gillette Stadium.

The scenario became clearer after the games played on Saturday, where New England and Vancouver Whitecaps secured their places without playing their respective games, which leaves only one spot available.

Inter Miami could have had a complicated afternoon if FC Dallas had beaten Sporting Kansas City, but a penalty missed by Petar Musa in the final minute left the match tied. As a result, the Herons control their own destiny, and a win would earn them a ticket to the international competition.

Kily Gonzalez hints at changes in Inter Miami’s lineup

Head coach Cristian “Kily” Gonzalez anticipated that there will be changes in the starting lineup for the trip to New England. “Surely there will be modifications, there will be changes, but I base myself on the day-to-day, and I’m never one to make excuses,” he said, adding that the Revolution are a team above them and that the match must be treated as a final.

The Argentine coach also looked back at the 2-2 draw with Cincinnati, a game his team couldn’t win, and called for a response. “It’s the moment to recover what we have done again. It’s not that we forgot how to play, far from it. We have to keep improving, because important things are coming, and this match can mark us for the future,” he said. The coach closed with a message of confidence: “I fully trust that we’re going to be up to the task”.

With a spot in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup on the line, Inter Miami head into the game knowing that the margin for error is small. Whatever changes Gonzalez has in mind, the message from the dressing room is clear: the Herons have their fate in their own hands, and one win would be enough to turn a complicated season into a successful one.