On Sunday night, at 10 p.m. ET, Messi and Inter Miami will visit Los Angeles to take on LAFC.
Messi is hoping to make his new Major League Soccer club, Miami, a playoff contender after guiding Inter Miami to the Leagues Cup. This is no easy assignment, as Miami presently lies in last place in the Eastern Conference with a 4-10-13 record, behind only Toronto.
Meanwhile, LAFC is doing well, ranking third in the Western Conference with an 11-7-7 record. Each conference’s top seven teams get byes into the playoffs, while the eighth and ninth-placed teams compete in a wild-card game.
Messi is always in high demand, and this time is no different. Los Angeles Times reports that the average price of a ticket on the secondary market is $717, which is “$31 less than what it would cost to attend every Los Angeles Chargers NFL home game at SoFi Stadium this season.” Beyoncé, who plays the second of four gigs tonight at SoFi Stadium, is the other celebrity fetching big money on the secondary market.
Simply said, Los Angeles is where you want to be tonight.
After a 0-0 draw against Nashville SC on Wednesday, Messi and Miami are looking to get back on track. Despite losing, Nashville nonetheless achieved a triumph by being the first team to keep Messi scoreless since his June arrival to the Major League Soccer. Messi himself must be aware of this statistic and eager to make amends.
It will be fascinating to see how fatigue plays a role, since this is Miami’s eleventh game in 45 days and their ninth in 33 days.
Stay tuned to USA TODAY Sports’ live blog for the latest developments before, during, and after the game.
Miami and Los Angeles FC’s starting lineups
Just 45 minutes before kickoff, both Miami and LAFC have released their starting lineups.
And now, an intriguing tidbit about LAFC’s starting lineup: Giorgio Chiellini, who played with Messi before for Juventus in Italy, will start at right back today. Chiellini has quipped that he “makes the sign of the cross” and prays whenever he needs to protect Messi.
Predictions for Inter Miami vs. LAFC
Safid Deen, sports writer at USA TODAY: Messi wins a nail-biting match in Los Angeles by scoring twice and setting up another goal. 3–2 for Inter Miami against LAFC
Senior Editor of USA TODAY Sports Alicia DelGallo: A second-half deficit forces Miami to rely on Messi and Josef Martinez to salvage a win. At the half, Inter Miami led 2-1 against LAFC.
Journalist Lindsay Schnell of USA TODAY Sports: Messi scores again, but LAFC, refreshed after a long layoff, demonstrates why it is so difficult to beat them at home. Score: LAFC 3, Inter Miami 1.
Editor of USA TODAY Sports Jim Reineking:The atmosphere at BMO Stadium will be tremendous, and the home squad will react by handing Messi his first loss with Miami and dealing a devastating blow to the visitors’ postseason hopes. Score: LAFC 3; Inter Miami 2
For LAFC’s Carlos Vela, facing Lionel Messi is nothing to fear.
Many soccer players across the globe dread hearing the word “Messi,” and with good reason. Messi, who is widely regarded as the best player of all time, is an athletic wizard who poses a constant danger whenever he has possession of the ball.
But LAFC’s standout striker, Carlos Vela, is not unfamiliar with Messi.
Vela, a versatile player who excels for Mexico in forward, flank, and midfield positions, has faced Messi 18 times in their professional careers. Even though Messi has beaten Vela in their previous 13 encounters, Vela will not be scared and will give Messi a harder time than normal.