Messi, Inter Miami under pressure in must-win Champions Cup game vs. LAFC on Wednesday
Inter Miami is promoting Wednesday night's home game against Los Angeles FC as 'The Comeback Game' and a mighty comeback it will have to be for Lionel Messi and his teammates to advance to the semifinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup.
Miami was held scoreless in a 1-0 loss in Leg 1 of the quarterfinals at LAFC last Wednesday and now must dig itself out a hole in the two-game series.
Complicating matters, this tournament uses aggregate scoring and away goals serves as the tiebreaker, meaning if LAFC scores one goal in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday, Inter Miami will need to score at least three to advance (because it scored zero goals on the road). Los Angeles advances with a victory, a tie or even a one-goal loss.
If Miami wins 1-0, the teams would be tied 1-1 on aggregate goals at the end of regulation, in which case they would play two 15-minute periods of extra time and, if necessary, a penalty shootout.
After going undefeated through its first nine games under new coach Javier Mascherano, including a seven-game win streak, the team hit a speed bump during the past week.
Following the loss to LA, a full-strength Miami team settled for a 1-1 home tie against winless Toronto on Sunday. Messi, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets played the full 90-plus minutes and Luis Suarez played 70 minutes, but Miami fell short in a game it was heavily favored to win, adding to the pressure to win Wednesday.
'Rather than talk about pressure, what I would say is that when I was a player, what gave meaning to this profession were games like this one on Wednesday,' Mascherano said. 'For a coach, it's much easier to prepare for a game like this because, yes, we must get the team ready, but there is no need to provide extra motivation. The scenario itself is the biggest motivation.'
Miami has never advanced past the quarterfinals of this tournament.
'For us to reach the semifinals for the first time would be a historic moment for this club,' Mascherano added. 'So, more than pressure we feel great hope and desire to play a great game, defensively and offensively. There is no better time to have a perfect performance, and I believe we can.'
Defense and goalkeeping will be critical for Inter Miami, and the team will be without Busquets, one of the most respected defensive midfielders of his generation, as he is serving a suspension for accumulation of yellow cards. He acts as an assistant coach on the field and often delivers the pass that leads to scoring opportunities.
Yannick Bright, who evolved from an untested rookie out of the University of New Hampshire last season to one of the team's most reliable midfielders, will have to step up, along with Fede Redondo.
'Obviously, Busi is an important player for us, but Yannick is too, as is Fede, and many other players on our team,' Mascherano said. 'We will replace [Busquets] the best way we can so his loss will be felt as little as possible.'
Asked what he must do to compensate for Busquets' absence, Bright said: 'We all know he is irreplaceable. So, more than me, it's going to take teamwork from everybody to make us miss him a little less. We're ready. Everybody's up to it.'
Mascherano has a difficult choice to make at goalkeeper. Co-captain Drake Callender, the regular starter the past few seasons, was out for an extended period after injuring his right adductor in mid-January while with the U.S. national team in a camp. He got his first start of the season against Toronto and said he is fully fit.
Oscar Ustari played well in Callender's absence and Mascherano said that LAFC's lone goal was not Ustari's fault. The coach explained that Ustari was chosen to start that high-stakes game because Callender had not played in five months.
'Drake's last game was against Atlanta, in November, so we were worried about this because if you put him in and he has not played for a long time, it is difficult, and more for a goalkeeper,' Mascherano said. 'So, we played Drake against Toronto. Oscar is doing very well for us. We have three really good goalkeepers, all very professional, they work well between them and this is really important.'
As always, there are high expectations for Messi to carry Miami's attack. After sitting out the March international break due to an adductor injury, the Argentine captain has played 180-plus minutes over Inter Miami's last two matches. He has six goals in eight games across league games and Champions Cup this season.
'These types of games are the ones that motivate players like [Messi] the most,' Mascherano said.
As for LAFC, which made the Champions Cup finals in 2020 and 2023, the team is in ninth place in the Western Conference standings and coming off a 1-0 loss on the road against Houston. Unlike Mascherano, who started his star players in the weekend league match, Los Angeles coach Steve Cherundolo chose to rest eight starters that faced Miami against Houston.
Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, forward Denis Bouanga, and center back Eddie Segura were the only three LAFC players who went the full game against Miami and Houston.
LAFC comes into Wednesday's game in Fort Lauderdale with an extra day of rest, as it played Saturday and Miami played Sunday. Mascherano voiced his displeasure about that discrepancy.
L.A. was able to shut out Miami in Leg 1 of the series by clogging the middle and preventing Messi and Suarez from receiving the ball.
'Obviously, they have a lethal attack with Messi, [Luis] Suarez, and [Sergio] Busquets in there dictating play,' said LAFC defender Ryan Hollingshead. 'They're as good as it gets in this league. We tried to frustrate them by clogging spaces in the middle. We limited their chances. We have to do that again next week in Miami.'
The winner of this series advances to face either Vancouver Whitecaps or Mexican club Pumas in the semifinals. Those teams tied 1-1 in their first leg last week and play Leg 2 Wednesday night in Mexico City.
▪ How to Watch: Inter Miami vs. LAFC kicks off at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Tickets are on sale through TicketMaster and fans can watch the broadcast on FS1 in English and TUDN in Spanish.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Newsweek
12 minutes ago
- Newsweek
How to Buy Inter Miami vs Al Ahly Tickets: 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Discount Promo Code
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will take part in their first match of the 2025 FIFA World Cup on Saturday against Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium, and you can claim a seat by purchasing tickets now. Shop: Inter Miami vs Al Ahly FIFA Club World Cup Tickets Soccer Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami in action against the Columbus Crew at Chase Stadium on May 31, 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami in action against the Columbus Crew at Chase Stadium on May 31, 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, Messi is one of the most popular athletes in the world, making it a once-in-a-lifetime experience seeing him play live. His club is one of the many great teams competing in this summer's 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, and they open up their tournament campaign against Al Ahly. The Club World Cup is sure to be a massive draw for soccer fans across the country and the rest of the world, as the top clubs in the world compete in this high-level tournament. Shop: Inter Miami vs Al Ahly FIFA Club World Cup Tickets For the first time, the United States has the honor of being the host country in what is now an expanded 32-team field. Matches will run all the way until July 13th, with games taking place in Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Seattle, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Orlando, Cincinnati, Washington D.C., Charlotte, and Nashville. This is an excellent opportunity for fans in the United States to catch their favorite club teams and players in action. We don't get the chance very often in the States to see players like Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid, Harry Kane of Bayern Munich, Erling Haaland of Manchester City, and Ousmane Dembélé of Paris Saint-Germain play live, so you'll want to make sure not to miss out. Click on any of the links to order your tickets to Inter Miami vs Al Ahly or any other matches during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Shop: FIFA Club World Cup Tickets Vivid Seats Promo Code Use promo code NEWSWEEK20 to get $20 off your first Vivid Seats order of $200 or more (before taxes and fees). Offer valid for new customers only. Soccer Real Madrid's French forward #09 Kylian Mbappe runs for the ball during the Spanish league football match between Real Madrid CF and Real Sociedad at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid on May 24, 2025. Real Madrid's French forward #09 Kylian Mbappe runs for the ball during the Spanish league football match between Real Madrid CF and Real Sociedad at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid on May 24, 2025. OSCAR DEL POZO/AFP via Getty Images 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Schedule Saturday, 14 June Group A: Al Ahly FC v Inter Miami CF - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, 20:00 Sunday, 15 June Group C: FC Bayern München v Auckland City FC - TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, 12:00 Group B: Paris Saint-Germain v Atlético de Madrid - Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles, 12:00 Group A: SE Palmeiras v FC Porto - MetLife Stadium, New York, New Jersey, 18:00 Group B: Botafogo v Seattle Sounders FC - Lumen Field, Seattle, 19:00 Monday, 16 June Group D: Chelsea FC v LAFC - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, 15:00 Group C: CA Boca Juniors v SL Benfica - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, 18:00 Group D: CR Flamengo v Espérance - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, 21:00 Tuesday, 17 June Group F: Fluminense FC v Borussia Dortmund - MetLife Stadium, New York, New Jersey, 12:00 Group E: CA River Plate v Urawa Red Diamonds - Lumen Field, Seattle, 12:00 Group F: Ulsan HD v Mamelodi Sundowns FC - Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando, 18:00 Group E: CF Monterrey v FC Internazionale Milano - Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles, 18:00 Wednesday, 18 June Group G: Manchester City v Wydad AC - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, 12:00 Group H: Real Madrid C. F. v Al Hilal - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, 15:00 Group H: CF Pachuca v FC Salzburg - TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, 18:00 Group G: Al Ain FC v Juventus FC - Audi Field, Washington, D.C., 21:00 Thursday, 19 June Group A: SE Palmeiras v Al Ahly FC - MetLife Stadium, New York, New Jersey, 12:00 Group A: Inter Miami CF v FC Porto - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, 15:00 Group B: Seattle Sounders FC v Atlético de Madrid - Lumen Field, Seattle, 15:00 Group B: Paris Saint-Germain v Botafogo - Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles, 18:00 Friday, 20 June Group C: SL Benfica v Auckland City FC - Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando, 12:00 Group D: CR Flamengo v Chelsea FC - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, 14:00 Group D: LAFC v Espérance - GEODIS Park, Nashville, 17:00 Group C: FC Bayern München v CA Boca Juniors - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, 21:00 Saturday, 21 June Group F: Mamelodi Sundowns FC v Borussia Dortmund - TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, 12:00 Group E: FC Internazionale Milano v Urawa Red Diamonds - Lumen Field, Seattle, 12:00 Group F: Fluminense FC v Ulsan HD - MetLife Stadium, New York, New Jersey, 18:00 Group E: CA River Plate v CF Monterrey - Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles, 18:00 Sunday, 22 June Group G: Juventus FC v Wydad AC - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, 12:00 Group H: Real Madrid C. F. v CF Pachuca - Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, 15:00 Group H: FC Salzburg v Al Hilal - Audi Field, Washington, D.C., 18:00 Group G: Manchester City v Al Ain FC - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, 21:00 Monday, 23 June Group B: Seattle Sounders FC v Paris Saint-Germain - Lumen Field, Seattle, 12:00 Group B: Atlético de Madrid v Botafogo - Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles, 12:00 Group A: Inter Miami CF v SE Palmeiras - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, 21:00 Group A: FC Porto v Al Ahly FC - MetLife Stadium, New York, New Jersey, 21:00 Tuesday, 24 June Group C: Auckland City FC v CA Boca Juniors - GEODIS Park, Nashville, 14:00 Group C: SL Benfica v FC Bayern München - Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, 15:00 Group D: LAFC v CR Flamengo - Camping World Stadium, Orlando, 21:00 Group D: Espérance v Chelsea FC - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, 21:00 Wednesday, 25 June Group F: Borussia Dortmund v Ulsan HD - TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, 15:00 Group F: Mamelodi Sundowns FC v Fluminense FC - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, 15:00 Group E: FC Internazionale Milano v CA River Plate - Lumen Field, Seattle, 18:00 Group E: Urawa Red Diamonds v CF Monterrey - Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles, 18:00 Thursday, 26 June Group G: Juventus FC v Manchester City - Camping World Stadium, Orlando, 15:00 Group G: Wydad AC v Al Ain FC - Audi Field, Washington, D.C., 15:00 Group H: Al Hilal v CF Pachuca - GEODIS Park, Nashville, 20:00 Group H: FC Salzburg v Real Madrid C. F. - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, 21:00 Round of 16 fixtures Saturday, 28 June Match 49: Group A winners v Group B runners-up - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, 12:00 Match 50: Group C winners v Group D runners-up - Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, 16:00 Sunday, 29 June Match 51: Group B winners v Group A runners-up - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, 12:00 Match 52: Group D winners v Group C runners-up - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, 16:00 Monday, 30 June Match 53: Group E winners v Group F runners-up - Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, 15:00 Match 54: Group G winners v Group H runners-up - Camping World Stadium, Orlando, 21:00 Tuesday, 1 July Match 55: Group H winners v Group G runners-up - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, 15:00 Match 56: Group F winners v Group E runners-up - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, 21:00 Quarter-final fixtures Friday, 4 July Match 57: Winner match 53 v Winner match 54 - Camping World Stadium, Orlando, 15:00 Match 58: Winner match 49 v Winner match 50 - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, 21:00 Saturday, 5 July Match 59: Winner match 51 v Winner match 52 - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, 12:00 Match 60: Winner match 55 v Winner match 56 - MetLife Stadium, New York, New Jersey, 16:00 Semi-final fixtures Tuesday, 8 July Match 61: Winner match 57 v Winner match 58 - MetLife Stadium, New York, New Jersey, 15:00 Wednesday, 9 July Match 62: Winner match 59 v Winner match 60 - MetLife Stadium, New York, New Jersey, 15:00 FIFA Club World Cup Final Sunday, 13 July Match 63: Winner match 61 v Winner match 62 - MetLife Stadium, New York, New Jersey, 15:00 Shop: FIFA Club World Cup Tickets If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mbappe, Messi & Ramos - big names set for Club World Cup
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe, Inter Miami's Lionel Messi and Monterrey's Sergio Ramos are among those playing at the Club World Cup [Getty Images] The Club World Cup is back in the summer - and this year's event will be larger than ever, with a host of the biggest names in football set to feature. Thirty-two teams from around the globe will take part in the tournament across 11 cities in the United States, with the month-long action beginning at 01:00 BST on Sunday and ending on 13 July. Advertisement You do not have to wait long until the superstars appear, with teams having finalised their squads for the big kick-off. Inter Miami, fortunate to be included as they won the Major League Soccer Supporters' Shield for the best performance in the MLS regular season - even though LA Galaxy went on to win the actual MLS play-offs and were left out, kick-start the competition on day one. Eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi is part of a legendary quartet of ex-Barcelona players at Inter Miami, alongside former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez, midfielder Sergio Busquets and left-back Jordi Alba. Defender Sergio Ramos, a World Cup winner with Spain in 2010, is captain of Mexican side Monterrey, while striker Oliver Giroud and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris - who both played in France's World Cup-winning team in 2018 - are in the Los Angeles FC side that will be in the competition after they won a play-off against Mexican side Club America. Advertisement Fellow World Cup winners Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann are in the Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid squads respectively. Fans of the two English teams involved will get an early glimpse of their new signings. Manchester City have selected Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Marcus Bettinelli and Rayan Cherki in their squad, while Chelsea's summer recruits - Liam Delap, Dario Essugo and Mamadou Sarr - will also feature. As part of the mid-tournament registration window, between 27 June and 3 July, clubs can add two extra players, potentially taking their squad size from 35 up to 37. A maximum of six changes can be made to squads. Advertisement Busy summer for numerous England stars England internationals Harry Kane (left), Conor Gallagher (centre) and Jude Bellingham will be in action for Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid respectively [Getty Images] It promises to be a busy summer for some key members of the England squad. The Three Lions played two games in June - winning 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier against Andorra in Barcelona on 7 June before losing 3-1 in a friendly against Senegal at Nottingham Forest three days later. The game at the City Ground took place just four days before the club tournament starts in the USA. England captain Harry Kane and midfielders Jude Bellingham and Conor Gallagher will play in the United States for Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid respectively. Real will have England right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold available for the tournament after they paid Liverpool £8.4m to sign him a month before his contract with the Reds expired. Advertisement The Spanish giants have also included centre-back Dean Huijsen, who they signed from Bournemouth for £50m last month. Chelsea's England quartet Cole Palmer, Reece James, Levi Colwill and Noni Madueke will be in the United States after a busy end to the season, which included winning the Conference League final on 28 May. Meanwhile, Phil Foden, John Stones and Rico Lewis will be among the England internationals featuring for Manchester City in the Club World Cup, although Jack Grealish has been left out with his future at the club uncertain. European dozen aiming for glory Bayern's Leroy Sane (right) has been linked with a summer move to Galatasaray [Getty Images] There are 12 European teams competing in the United States, based on their achievements in Uefa competitions over the past five years. Advertisement Chelsea qualified via winning the Champions League in 2021, while Manchester City's success two years later also earned them a spot - although 2025 Premier League champions Liverpool and Champions League semi-finalists Arsenal have not made the cut. Needless to say, the European teams are packed full of former Premier League players. Numerous former Chelsea players will be there - including Thibaut Courtois and Antonio Rudiger at Real Madrid and Cesar Azpilicueta at Atletico Madrid, whose squad also includes Argentina striker Julian Alvarez, who moved from Manchester City in a deal worth £81.5m last summer. Former Manchester United duo Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Matteo Darmian are now at Inter Milan, Angel di Maria plays for Benfica and fellow midfielder Marcel Sabitzer is at Borussia Dortmund, with former Brighton midfielder Pascal Gross among their other options - although ex-Liverpool man Emre Can misses out because of an adductor injury. Advertisement New Dortmund signing from Sunderland, Jobe Bellingham, has been included in their squad, along with Chelsea loanee Carney Chukwuemeka. As well as Kane, Bayern's squad includes Michael Olise and Leroy Sane, who played in the Premier League at Crystal Palace and Manchester City respectively. A global game Former Manchester United duo Marcos Rojo (left) and Edinson Cavani play in Argentina for River Plate [Getty Images] Further afield, there will be plenty of names which will be familiar to British-based football fans. Manchester United supporters may well be interested in the progress of Argentine side Boca Juniors, whose squad includes ex-United quartet Sergio Romero, Marcos Rojo, Ander Herrera and Edinson Cavani, while left-back Alex Telles is now at Brazil's Botafogo and right-back Guillermo Varela at another Brazilian side in Flamengo. Advertisement Former Chelsea captain Thiago Silva is also back playing in his homeland, for Fluminense, and West Ham supporters will be keen to see how former Hammers Felipe Anderson and Manuel Lanzini get on at Palmeiras and River Plate respectively. Striker Salomon Rondon, who represented West Brom, Newcastle and Everton in his time in England, is at Mexican outfit Pachuca and winger Ryan Kent is now at American side Seattle Sounders after a career that has taken him to Liverpool, Coventry, Barnsley, Bristol City and Rangers. While the tournament will include Messi and Mbappe, there will be no Cristiano Ronaldo as there is only one team from Saudi Arabia and that is Al-Hilal, who won the 2021 AFC Champions League. Ronaldo's Al-Nassr team would still have qualified had they won that tournament in 2023-24, but lost in the quarter-finals. Advertisement Al-Hilal do, however, have some familiar names in their squad including Joao Cancelo, a Premier League title-winning full-back with Manchester City, former Newcastle and Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, ex-Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves, ex-Nottingham Forest defender Renan Lodi and former Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly.

Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
Miami Marlins join efforts to restore defaced Jackie Robinson and Minnie Miñoso mural
MIAMI (AP) — The Miami Marlins are joining efforts to restore the defaced mural of baseball legends Jackie Robinson and Minnie Miñoso in Miami's Overtown neighborhood, which was marked with racist graffiti last week. City of Miami Chairwoman Christine King announced Wednesday that she along with the Marlins, Urgent, Inc., Omni Community Redevelopment Agency, Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency and other community activists will lead the restoration at Dorsey Park, where community leaders said a 7-year-old boy first discovered the vandalism last Sunday and asked his mother what the words and the Nazi symbols meant. 'This vile assault was an attack on our values, history, and community,' King said in a statement. 'We are actively working with law enforcement and the public to identify the individual(s) responsible for this intolerable act. However, even in the darkest hours, light finds its way to shine. This is a reminder and testament to the strength of our community, coming together to restore peace, beauty, and pride to this neighborhood.' Police were investigating the incident but have not made any arrests. City workers have since partially covered the murals of Robinson and Miñoso, an Afro-Cuban player, with wooden boards. The murals are along a fence at Dorsey Park, where Negro League teams once played baseball. The Marlins' home ballpark loanDepot park is just a few miles from the park. 'In light of the deeply troubling acts of vandalism at Dorsey Park, the Miami Marlins today proudly stand in solidarity with the City of Miami Chairwoman Christine King, and our local leaders in unequivocally condemning this hateful and racist act,' said Marlins owner Bruce Sherman. 'Dorsey Park is not only a landmark of historical and cultural significance in South Florida — it is a powerful symbol of resilience, pride, and the enduring contributions of trailblazers to the game of baseball.' Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball when he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 to become the first Black player. Miñoso became the league's first Afro-Latino player and the first Black player for the Chicago White Sox. The murals have been displayed in the park since 2011 and are a collaboration between artists Kyle Holbrook and Kadir Nelson and various community groups. ___ AP MLB: