Lionel Messi Set To Return As Inter Miami Targets Second Title

There is no letup in Inter Miami’s schedule in 2025, and its progress to the Leagues Cup semifinals means another meeting with Florida rivals Orlando City on Wednesday night.

It will be the second time the two have met this month, and the third time this season, as this state rivalry writes several new chapters in quick succession.

Orlando defeated Miami 4-1 in MLS last time out, but Lionel Messi was missing for that game due to a hamstring injury. He hopes to be back for this semifinal.

It has been a tough schedule for these Inter Miami stars, who have also had to contend with the Club World Cup on top of MLS domestic play, the Concacaf Champions Cup, and the Leagues Cup.

But with a trophy on the line and needing just two more wins to lift said silverware, its focus will now be squarely on this continental cup.

Messi Returns For Trophy Tilt

Having clearly returned to action too early with his second-half cameo against LA Galaxy, Messi missed the subsequent MLS game against DC United in order to prepare for this Leagues Cup semifinal.

Despite not being fully fit and still feeling the effects of a hamstring injury picked up in the Leagues Cup group stage, he still drove Miami to a win in that game against LA Galaxy, with a goal and an assist.

Now he’s back to a higher level of fitness (they hope), Inter Miami will be looking to Messi to help them avenge that recent 4-1 league defeat against Orlando, and the 3-0 loss earlier in the season.

Jordi Alba is also back in training, having missed the 1-1 draw in DC, as Inter Miami aim for a second Leagues Cup title, having won it with a then-recently-arrived Messi back in 2023.

An All-MLS Leagues Cup. Again

The 2025 edition of this tournament was designed to produce more MLS versus Liga MX matchups.

The group stage was separated into two divisions, one with 18 teams from MLS and another with 18 teams from Liga MX. Then six sets of six teams were drawn, three from each league, who would face each other across three group stage games.

Once the group stage was complete, the top four from the MLS half played the top four of the Liga MX half, guaranteeing MLS versus Liga MX matchups up until the quarterfinals.

However, the first time intra-league matchups could occur, the tournament produced an all-MLS run-in, with each MLS team knocking out their Mexican opponents in the quarterfinals.

It’s the second season in a row that no Mexican teams have made the semifinals.

The MLS home advantage and timing in the season have both been put forward as reasons for this, so there is still plenty for this tournament to consider as it goes forward.

Orlando City’s Own Argentine Star

Martín Ojeda has been the star player in a firing Orlando attack this season. It’s an attack that has created the most “big chances” in MLS with 93, and is tied with Inter Miami for the most goals scored in the league, with 54.

Ojeda is now beginning to be spoken of as a possible MVP candidate, and another big performance against last year’s winner of this award, Messi, of course, will further make his case.

The attacking midfielder was rested for the MLS game against Nashville at the weekend, as Orlando, like Miami, prepared its Argentine star to make the most of this chance to reach a final.

Ojeda will be joined in attack by the experienced Colombian striker Luis Muriel and winger Marco Pašalić to form one of the most potent forward lines on the continent.

Prediction

With Messi back, it should be closer than the 4-1 scoreline in Orlando’s favour we saw in MLS this month, and Inter Miami also have home advantage. It might go down to a penalty shootout, as two of the quarterfinals did.