Inter Miami Eyeing Leagues Cup Success

It has been just over two years since Inter Miami participated in the first-ever edition of the Leagues Cup. Bolstered by the arrivals of new manager Tata Martino, Spanish icons Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, as well as eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, Miami went from one of the worst-performing units in Major League Soccer to a force to be reckoned with in the Leagues Cup. The Herons finished atop their group after defeating Cruz Azul and Atlanta United in the group stage, before brushing past Orlando City, FC Dallas, Charlotte FC and Philadelphia Union to reach the final, where they would prevail on penalties at Nashville SC to win the tournament.

They didn’t fare quite as well in 2024 after finishing second in their group and narrowly edging Toronto FC 4-3, before losing 3-2 to eventual champions Columbus Crew in the Round of 16. However, with the tournament switching from a group phase to a league phase in 2025, Miami have taken advantage and enjoyed a stellar start to their campaign. Javier Mascherano’s side kicked off their preliminary phase by edging Mexican side Atlas 2-1 courtesy of Marcelo Weigandt’s last-second goal, whilst they managed to escape with a draw against Necaxa despite playing the majority of the match with 10 men. They looked set for a defeat until the 92nd minute, when new signing Rodrigo De Paul teed up Jordi Alba with the equalizer. The match then went to penalties, where Miami prevailed 5-4 to claim two points.

Miami fell into an early hole after Jorge Ruvalcaba opened the scoring for Pumas, but De Paul would level proceedings before the break whilst Luis Suarez tied things up from the penalty spot – Suarez would pick up his second assist after teeing up Tadeo Allende with the third goal in the 69th minute. As one of the four best MLS teams (second overall behind Seattle), Miami have qualified for the knockout phase of the Leagues Cup. The quarterfinals will take place on August 19 and 20, with an array of pulsating fixtures pitting one American side against one Mexican side.

Inter Miami will face off against Tigres, with Messi taking on current and former Argentina teammates in Nahuel Guzman and Angel Correa. If they win, they will meet either Toluca or Orlando City in the semifinal. On the other side of the bracket, Seattle Sounders will take on Puebla, whilst Pachuca will face LA Galaxy. Similarly to Miami, both Seattle and Pachuca competed in the recent FIFA Club World Cup, but whilst Seattle and Pachuca were eliminated in the group stage, Miami advanced all the way to the Round of 16 before losing to Paris Saint-Germain.

Can Miami claim their second Leagues Cup trophy on August 31? Stay tuned for what promises to be an enthralling few weeks for North American soccer.