MLS making big plans for Lionel Messi's playoff debut with Inter Miami

Inter Miami, which clinched their first Supporters' Shield on Wednesday with a 3-2 win against the Columbus Crew, will play their first postseason match on October 25th on their home turf in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

As the top seed, the Herons will have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Expecting massive fan interest, MLS announced Thursday that the opener will be live-streamed for free on Apple TV and aired as it happens on the gargantuan 25,000-square-foot video screen at Times Square in New York. It will be a standalone game on the MLS schedule.

Inter Miami will meet the winner of the Eastern Conference wild-card match, set for Oct. 22 between the eighth and ninth seeds. CF Montreal (10-12-10, 40 points) and Toronto FC (11-18-4, 37 points) currently hold those spots, respectively.

The full MLS Cup playoff bracket will be known October 19th, on the final day of regular-season play.

After a career spent abroad, Messi joined MLS in July 2023 and Inter Miami went on to win the Leagues Cup title but did not qualify for the MLS Cup playoffs. The Supporters' Shield is Messi's 46th career trophy.