The Leagues Cup semifinal brings a classic Florida rivalry to the spotlight as Inter Miami CF and Orlando City SC battle for a spot in the final. Coaches Javier Mascherano and Óscar Pareja will lead their sides in what has become one of the most anticipated clashes in Major League Soccer. Lionel Messi is confirmed in the starting lineup.
Inter Miami enters the derby sitting 6th in the Eastern Conference, eight points behind leaders Charlotte FC, but with fewer games played than most of their rivals. Over the weekend, they earned a 1–1 draw away at D.C. United, extending their solid but inconsistent league form. In the Leagues Cup, the Herons finished 2nd in their MLS group before eliminating Tigres UANL in the quarterfinals.
Orlando City, meanwhile, currently occupies 5th place in the Eastern Conference, seven points adrift of the Philadelphia Union. Their latest MLS outing was a tough one, a heavy 5–1 defeat at Nashville SC, raising questions about their defensive stability. In the Leagues Cup, the Lions finished 4th in their MLS group but showed resilience in the quarterfinals, defeating Toluca, the reigning Liga MX champions, in a penalty shootout.
Lionel Messi starts for Inter Miami
After several days of speculation and uncertainty regarding Lionel Messi’s fitness, head coach Javier Mascherano has decided to include him in the starting lineup for Wednesday night’s clash against Orlando City. The Argentine forward will make his first start since August 2.
Baltasar Rodriguez will start for Inter Miami.
Confirmed lineups
Inter Miami will field their strongest possible XI in a bid to reach the Leagues Cup final: Óscar Ustari; Ian Fray, Gonzalo Luján, Maximiliano Falcón, Jordi Alba; Sergio Busquets, Yannick Bright, Rodrigo De Paul; Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Baltasar Rodríguez.
see also
How to watch Inter Miami vs Orlando City SC in the USA: Live Stream and TV for 2025 Leagues Cup
Meanwhile, Orlando City will go with the following lineup: Pedro Gallese; Alex Freeman, Rodrigo Schlegel, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo; César Araújo, Eduard Atuesta; Marco Pasalic, Martín Ojeda, Iván Angulo; Luis Muriel.
What’s at stake
For Inter Miami, the semifinal is another chance to showcase the club’s global star power with Messi, Suárez, Alba, De Paul, and Busquets, while also looking to take one more step in their pursuit of the third title in club history.
see also
Leagues Cup 2025 TV schedule and streaming info for U.S. viewers
For Orlando City, the derby represents both an opportunity and a challenge: a chance to assert themselves against their in-state rivals while proving they can compete against a star-studded opponent on one of the region’s biggest stages.
