Lionel Messi is 90 minutes away from a new cup final: Philadelphia Union vs. Inter Miami CF

PHI_MIA

90 minutes stand in between Argentine superstar Lionel Messi potentially playing in another final in his career and, in the process, becoming the player with the most titles in history. Therefore, all eyes will be on this match, with a full stadium and an expectant crowd. It won’t be easy for Messi and Miami, with a steadfast Philadelphia in their way.

Inter Miami CF have performed in Leagues Cup 2023, triumphing in all five matches and securing two clean sheets up to this stage. In the latest encounter, they convincingly eliminated Charlotte FC during the quarterfinals, achieving a resounding 4-0 victory in front of a capacity crowd at DRV PNK Stadium. This impressive win featured goals from their leading scorers, Lionel Messi and Josef Martínez, as well as winger Robert Taylor.

Inter Miami's offensive lineup have been truly prolific in Leagues Cup action, leading the tournament with an impressive tally of 17 goals so far. Lionel Messi extended his goal count with the club to eight in just five matches, consistently finding the net in every game he has played for Inter Miami. Josef Martínez, sharing the all-round top scorer position with Messi, also notched his second goal in the Leagues Cup during this match. 

Their upcoming opponent hails from Pennsylvania and  secured their place after a dramatic quarterfinal victory over Querétaro F.C. from LIGA MX. The decisive goal came during added time, resulting in a 2-1 win for Philadelphia Union. The standout player for the Union in Leagues Cup has been midfielder Dániel Gazdag, the Hungarian talent who has impressively scored four goals across his four appearances in the tournament. Jim Curton's side are hoping to be the villains in the Lionel Messi Leagues Cup story, and try and reach the final themselves.

Match time and how to watch Philadelphia Union vs. Inter Miami CF

The match between Philadelphia Union and Inter Miami CF will kick off on Tuesday, August 15th, at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania, at 7:00 PM ET (5:00 PM Mexico City time). The game will be broadcast in both the United States and Mexico on Apple TV+.

Possible lineups:

Philadelphia Union: Joe Bendik; Olivier Macizo, Jakob Glesnes, Jack Elliot, Matthew Real; Alejandro Bedoya, José Martínez, Leon Flash, Dániel Gazdag; Mikael Uhre, and Julián Carranza.

Inter Miami CF: Drake Callender; DeAndre Yedlin, Serhiy Kryvtsov, Kamal Miller, Jordi Alba; Dixon Arroyo, Sergio Busquets, Benjamin Cremaschi; Lionel Messi, Josef Martínez, and Robert Taylor.