FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Lionel Messi will play his first MLS Cup Playoff game tonight as Inter Miami hosts Atlanta United at Chase Stadium to begin their best-of-three, first-round series.
The match will be available to stream for free via MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET (9:30 p.m. in Argentina).
Messi and Inter Miami have won the MLS Supporters’ Shield for the league’s best record, and set the MLS record with 74 points during the regular season. He is also one of five finalists for MLS MVP.
Now, Inter Miami is in pursuit of its third title of the Messi era, while Messi is vying for his 47th title for club and country throughout his illustrious career.
“Well, I think we are one of the favorites,” Messi said during an interview with Apple TV and 433 Football, a soccer content creator company, before the match on Inter Miami’s chances of winning MLS Cup. “I think we are a team that has grown and learned to compete and that will compete with anyone. But I think there are also tough teams who will be very difficult rivals and who will not make it easy. But I think the other teams respect us like we respect them.”
Here’s everything you need to know for the match. Follow live scores and highlights below after kickoff:
How to watch Inter Miami vs. Atlanta United free live stream
The match is available for free on Apple TV, which said this could be the most-viewed match on MLS Season Pass history.
TikTok Messi cam: How to watch Messi on TikTok live stream
The @MLS and @InterMiamiCF TikTok accounts will feature a live stream of Messi during the playoff game. It’s the first time in TikTok’s history a single player will be followed during an entire soccer match.
Is Messi playing tonight?
Yes, Messi is expected to be in the starting lineup for Inter Miami’s playoff game against Atlanta.
Inter Miami vs. Atlanta United betting odds
Here are the BETMGM moneyline odds: Inter Miami (-250); Atlanta (+575); Draw after regulation (+400). The over/under is set at 3.5 goals.
The line moved significantly since Tuesday: Inter Miami moved from -210 to -250, while Atlanta dropped from +425 to +575.
Messi enters MLS Cup Playoffs at his strongest
Messi’s Copa America ankle injury is long behind him. He appears at full strength, and perhaps stronger than he’s ever been since joining Inter Miami, evident from two hat tricks in his last two matches played.
Messi was also named one of five finalists for MLS MVP on Thursday, and is considered a favorite to win the award.
The Messi marketing machine is also in full effect with the debut of Captain Messi, a superhero toy with Hard Rock International, among other ventures the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is pursing off the pitch.
Inter Miami vs. Atlanta stats
What makes this MLS Cup Playoff matchup so enticing is Atlanta is one of four clubs to beat Inter Miami this season.
Messi scored a goal, but Atlanta beat Inter Miami 3-1 on May 29. For context, the match was three days after Inter Miami’s trip to Vancouver, the longest road trip in Major League Soccer.
Inter Miami vs. Atlanta United MLS Cup Playoff Series
Game 2 will be played Saturday, Nov. 2, in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. And Game 3, if necessary, will be played on Saturday, Nov. 9, at Chase Stadium.
The winner advances to meet the winner between No. 4 Orlando City and No. 5 Charlotte.
MLS Cup Playoff format
The MLS Cup Playoffs is not a traditional, two-game, aggregate score format. Instead, every match in the MLS Cup Playoffs is a standalone opportunity to earn a victory. If a score is tied after regulation in the first round, both clubs will immediately compete in a penalty shootout.