Inter Miami welcome Orlando City to Chase Stadium on Wednesday night for a fiery Leagues Cup semifinal, with a place in the showpiece clash—and Florida bragging rights—on the line.
It’s an all-MLS final four, and last year’s champions will be itching to book their ticket to the decider by overturning the sting of a 4-1 league defeat to their rivals just two weeks ago. The big question, however, is whether Lionel Messi will feature.
The Argentine superstar continues to wrestle with lingering hamstring troubles that have interrupted much of his Miami stint. He sat out the quarterfinal win over Tigres, where Luis Suárez stepped up with two ice-cool penalties.
There’s more at stake than silverware alone: a win not only seals a spot in the Leagues Cup final but also guarantees qualification for next year’s CONCACAF Champions Cup. The loser, meanwhile, will have to battle it out in a third-place playoff to keep that dream alive.
The Sporting News looks at the key details ahead of this game, including how to watch the match, kickoff times and the latest lineup news.
Inter Miami vs. Orlando City live stream, TV channel
Here's how to watch this Leagues Cup match in the U.S.:
TV channel: N/A
Live stream: Apple TV
This match is not available for live TV broadcast in the US. Streaming options are available on Apple TV with the MLS Season Pass.
Fans can sign up for MLS Season Pass for as low as $49 for the full season or $14.99 per month. Current Apple TV+ subscribers can enjoy a special rate of $39 for the full season.
New subscribers can enjoy a free trial of AppleTV+ and try before they buy!
What time does Inter Miami vs. Orlando City kick off?
This Leagues Cup clash takes place at the Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, and kicks off on Wednesday, August 27 at 8:30 p.m. (ET) local time.
Here's how that time translates across the U.S.:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| Eastern Time | Wed, Aug. 27 | 8:30 p.m. |
| Central Time | Wed, Aug. 27 | 7:30 p.m. |
| Mountain Time | Wed, Aug. 27 | 6:30 p.m. |
| Pacific Time | Wed, Aug. 27 | 5:30 p.m. |
Inter Miami vs. Orlando City predicted lineups, team news
Javier Mascherano decided to rest a number of regular starters for the weekend's 1-1 draw with D.C. United on Saturday, including Sergio Busquets, Rodrigo de Paul, and Luis Suarez, all of whom came off the bench, but many of them should return to the starting XI here.
The status of Lionel Messi, however, is at this point unclear. Messi picked up a hamstring injury in the league phase, and while he returned to MLS action briefly, the injury flared up and left him sidelined again. He missed the quarterfinal win over Tigres and his status for this match is unknown. He will need to train before proving fit for duty.
Jordi Alba has picked up a knee injury in the quarterfinal win over Tigres and isn't expected to be fit for a number of weeks.
Inter Miami predicted XI (4-2-3-1, right to left): Ustari (GK) — Weigandt, Lujan, Falcon, Allen — Bright, Busquets — Allende, De Paul, Segovia — Suarez.
Injured: Messi (hamstring, doubt), Alba (knee).
Suspended: None.
MORE: Lionel Messi injury news, updates as hamstring flares up again
Orlando City have felt the loss of striker Duncan Maguire, who is out still with a shoulder injury suffered in late May. They are also down in midfield as Peruvian veteran Wilder Cartagena has missed the entire season with an Achilles tear.
Head coach Oscar Pareja rotated a few players in the damaging 5-1 loss at Nashville over the weekend, but the likes of Alex Freeman, Luis Muriel, and Marco Pasalic should return to the lineup.
Muriel had an eventful 16 minutes off the bench in the Nashville defeat, scoring a goal before being sent off. He will be available for this Leagues Cup match before serving a suspension in upcoming MLS action for the red card.
Orlando City predicted XI (4-2-3-1, right to left): Gallese (GK) — Freeman, Schlegel, Jansson, Brekalo — Atuesta, Araujo — Pasalic, Ojeda, Angulo — Muriel.
Injured: Maguire (shoulder), Cartagena (Achilles).
Suspended: None.
Leagues Cup bracket, fixtures for 2025 tournament
Semifinals
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue |
| Wed, Aug. 27 | 8:30 p.m. | SF1: Inter Miami vs. Orlando City | Chase Stadium |
| Wed, Aug. 27 | 10:45 p.m. | SF2: LA Galaxy vs. Seattle Sounders | Dignity Health Sports Park |
Third place match
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue |
| Sun, Aug. 31 | TBD | Loser SF1 vs. Loser SF2 | TBD |
Final
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue |
| Sun, Aug. 31 | TBD | Winner SF1 vs. Winner SF2 | TBD |