Inter Miami will face Cruz Azul this Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 5 p.m. Pacific Time and 8 p.m. Eastern Time. All eyes are on Lionel Messi.
The match will take place at the Nu Stadium in Miami as part of the Campeones Cup, a final that pits the MLS Cup champion against the Campeón de Campeones champion to determine the best team in North America.
Inter Miami vs. Cruz Azul Starting Lineups: Is Lionel Messi Playing Today?
Yes, Lionel Messi is available for this match and is expected to start. In fact, the only confirmed absences for head coach Ángel Guillermo Hoyos are young attacker Santiago Morales, who has a muscle injury and could be available again by the end of September.
A similar case is that of Tadeo Allende, who has a knee injury, but is also expected to return before the end of September.
Cruz Azul, meanwhile, arrives at this match with just one absence, as head coach Joel Wiki will not be able to count on Amaury Morales, a 20-year-old fullback with a knee injury expected to be out until early 2027.
Inter Miami predicted lineup vs. Cruz Azul: St. Clair; Fray, Casemiro, Micael, Reguilon; De Paul, Bright, Segovia; Suarez, Messi, Berterame.
Cruz Azul predicted lineup vs. Inter Miami: Mier; Marquez, Ditta, Orozco, Piovi, Campos; Rotondi, Lira, Rodriguez; Ibanez, Ebere.
These predicted starting lineups will be replaced by the official confirmed lineups about an hour before kickoff, when both clubs announce them.
Campeones Cup Explained: Format, Teams and History
The Campeones Cup is a match held in partnership between MLS and Liga MX to determine the best team in North America. This final pits the Campeón de Campeones champion against the MLS Cup champion.
Some users have asked why the MLS Cup champion doesn’t simply face the Liga MX champion, but the reason is that in Mexico, the Liga MX champion plays the previous Liga MX champion.
In Mexico, tournaments are short and divided into Apertura and Clausura. Therefore, the most recent Apertura champion faces the most recent Clausura champion, and that is how the best team in Mexico is determined.
The Campeones Cup was created in 2018 and is played as a single match at the MLS champion’s stadium. The tournament has already crowned eight champions. The list so far includes Tigres UANL, Atlanta United, Columbus Crew, New York City, Tigres UANL, América, and Toluca.
Therefore, Mexico currently leads with four champions, the United States is second with three champions, and Canada has not seen any of its teams lift the cup.
Inter Miami vs. Cruz Azul Lineup Today: Is Lionel Messi Playing in the Campeones Cup?