MLS has big plans for Lionel Messi’s first playoff game

Major League Soccer is already getting ready for Lionel Messi’s first MLS Cup playoff game, even though the other team his Inter Miami CF team will play hasn’t been decided yet.

Inter Miami won their first Supporters’ Shield on Wednesday with a 3-2 win over the Columbus Crew. Their first playoff game will be on Oct. 25 at home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

As the top seed, the Herons will be able to play all of their games at home during the playoffs.

MLS announced Thursday that the first game will be livestreamed for free on Apple TV and shown live on a huge 25,000-square-foot screen in New York’s Times Square. They expect a lot of fans to watch. It will be its own game on the MLS schedule.

They will play the winner of the Eastern Conference wild-card game between the No. 8 and No. 9 teams on October 22. At the moment, those spots are held by CF Montreal (10-12-10, 40 points) and Toronto FC (11-18-4, 37 points).

As of Oct. 19, the last day of the regular season, the full MLS Cup playoff draw will be known.

Messi, who is 37 years old, came to MLS in July 2023 after playing for a team in another country. Inter Miami won the Leagues Cup, but they didn’t make it to the MLS Cup playoffs. Messi’s 46th prize of his career is the Supporters’ Shield.