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Lionel Messi, Inter Miami face Nashville SC in Leagues Cup final: How to stream

Jim Reineking, USA TODAY
·6 min read

Lionel Messi said it would be "beautiful for everyone" if Inter Miami could collect its first trophy.

Standing in the way in Saturday's Leagues Cup final is another team, Nashville SC, that is playing for its first trophy of any kind. To reach this point, Nashville SC upset Liga MX powerhouse CF Monterrey, 2-0, in the semifinals.

After winning just five of 22 regular-season MLS games, Inter Miami has won all six of its Leagues Cup matches. Its 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Union in the semifinals represents Miami's most impressive win in the team's short history.

Leagues Cup final: Lionel Messi's Inter Miami takes on Nashville SC | Follow along!

Getting to the Leagues Cup final is a remarkable accomplishment for a Miami squad that currently sits in last place in Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference. But it has enjoyed an unprecedented summer rebuild, highlighted by the addition of 2022 World Cup champion and seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi. Inter Miami also signed two of Messi’s former FC Barcelona teammates — Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets — and three highly regarded South American prodigies in 20-year-old Paraguayan midfielder Diego Gómez, 20-year-old Argentine midfielder Facundo Farías and 19-year-old Argentine defender Tomás Avilés. Farías and Avilés have yet to make their Inter Miami debuts.

Messi has scored nine goals in six Leagues Cup games, while Inter Miami has scored 21 goals during the tournament — a far cry from their 22 goals scored in 22 MLS games before Messi's arrival.

While Inter Miami was able to quickly turn around its fortunes by signing arguably the greatest soccer player ever, Nashville SC brings a more blue collar approach to the pitch. Anchored by a sturdy defense and starring one of the best designated player signings in league history in Hany Mukhtar, Nashville SC has been a steady MLS contender since its 2020 inception.

'ENJOYING THE MOMENT': Lionel Messi embracing new stage of career with Inter Miami

Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring a goal in Inter Miami's Leagues Cup semifinal win against the Philadelphia Union.
Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring a goal in Inter Miami's Leagues Cup semifinal win against the Philadelphia Union.

Here's everything you need to know about the Leagues Cup final:

When is Lionel Messi playing?

Messi and Inter Miami play against Nashville SC in the Leagues Cup championship game on Saturday, Aug. 19 at 9 p.m. ET.

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How to watch Lionel Messi in Leagues Cup final

The Leagues Cup final between Inter Miami and Nashville SC can be streamed live via the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

What's at stake in the Leagues Cup final?

While both Leagues Cup finalists — as well as the winner of the third-place game between the Philadelphia Union and CF Monterrey — earn automatic berths for 2024 into the rebranded Concacaf Champions Cup (formerly named the Concacaf Champions League), the Leagues Cup winner earns automatic qualification to the Round of 16 of the Concacaf Champions Cup.

Neither Inter Miami nor Nashville SC has ever previously qualified for the Concacaf Champions Cup.

There is prize money also awarded to winning teams in the Leagues Cup, with the champion reportedly earning around $2 million.

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Where will the Leagues Cup final be played?

The Leagues Cup final will be held at GEODIS Park in Nashville, Tennessee. The stadium opened in 2022. Its 30,000-seat capacity makes GEODIS Park the largest soccer-specific stadium in the United States.

What to know about Nashville SC

Nashville SC and Inter Miami each joined MLS as expansion teams in 2020. Nashville SC has enjoyed far more success, so far, than Inter Miami. Nashville has made the playoffs in each of its three seasons, advancing to the conference semifinals in 2020 and 2021. Last season, Hany Mukhtar — the first designated player signing for Nashville in August 2019 — earned league MVP honors. Mukhtar is having a sensational follow-up to his MVP campaign, currently leading MLS with 13 goals.

Defender Walker Zimmerman is a two-time MLS defender of the year and a four-time MLS Best XI selection. Both Zimmerman and fellow defender Shaq Moore were part of the United States' 2022 World Cup team. Newly signed forward Sam Surridge scored the first goal in Nashville's 2-0 win over Monterrey in the Leagues Cup semifinals. Midfielder Dax McCarty is in his 18th MLS season after being a first-round pick in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft by FC Dallas. Nashville SC are the fifth different team that McCarty has played for.

What is Inter Miami's remaining 2023 schedule?

With the exception of the U.S. Open Cup semifinal game on Aug. 23 (which will be available to stream on the CBS Sports Golazo Network), all other Inter Miami games are available to watch via the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

When does the MLS regular season restart?

Major League Soccer returns to regular-season play on Sunday. What was to be Messi's first MLS match with Inter Miami — originally scheduled for Aug. 20 against Charlotte FC — has been postponed. Now it appears Messi could play in his first MLS regular-season game for Inter Miami against the New York Red Bulls on Aug. 26 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.

Here are Sunday's MLS regular-season games:

All matches will be streamed live on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lionel Messi in Leagues Cup final: Inter Miami vs. Nashville SC today