Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are already in a stiff match as their 2025 Major League Soccer season began Saturday night against New York City FC inside Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Messi has assisted Inter Miami’s first goal of the season, finding Toto Avilés in the middle of the box just five minutes into the match. But NYCFC has responded with two goals to take the lead away from Inter Miami.
The score is New York City FC 2, Inter Miami 1 in the second half.
Follow along here for live updates from USA TODAY Sports:
Alonso Martinez goal: New York City FC 2, Inter Miami 1
Inter Miami has fallen behind at home in the second half. NYCFC’s Alonso Martinez has scored in the 55th minute to help his side take a 2-1 lead.
Jordi Alba’s poor pass backwards directly to Martinez was the catalyst to Inter Miami’s deficit.
Mitja Ilenič goal: Inter Miami 1, New York City FC 1
New York City FC scored with some trickery: Santi Rodriguez tapped a free kick to Mitja Ilenič, who Inter Miami did not address as he lined up to the left of their defensive line. Ilenič quickly scored in the 26
th
minute, and this match is tied.
The penalty opportunity was caused by Inter Miami’s Toto Aviles, who immediately received a red card for tackling NYCFC’s Alonso Martínez.
Now, Inter Miami is tied and must play the rest of the match with just 10 players instead of all 11 starters.
Toto Aviles goal: Inter Miami 1, New York City FC 0
Lionel Messi has already left his mark five minutes into this match with an assist to Toto Aviles, who scored in the fifth minute.
Here’s the sequence: Messi to Jordi Alba, back to Messi, then to Aviles, the 21-year-old Argentine, for the score.
How to watch Inter Miami vs. New York City FC on TV, live stream?
The match begins at 7:30 p.m. ET (8:30 p.m. in Argentina), and will be streamed on
Is Messi playing tonight? Inter Miami, NYCFC starting lineups
Yes, Messi is in the starting lineup for Inter Miami against NYCFC.
Inter Miami vs. New York City FC match preview
Although Inter Miami had the best regular season in league history, winning the 2024 MLS Supporters Shield, they were upended in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs by Atlanta United in December. NYCFC reached the conference finals, losing to the New York Red Bulls, after finishing sixth in the Eastern Conference last season.
It will also be a matchup between first-time MLS coaches. Inter Miami is led by Javier Mascherano, who played at Barcelona with Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. NYCFC hired Pascal Jansen, who previously coached in the Netherlands and Hungary.
Although Saturday is the first match of the MLS season, several teams like Inter Miami have already begun play this year in the Concacaf Champions Cup tournament. Messi scored the only goal in Inter Miami’s 1-0 win at Sporting Kansas City in frigid temperatures in the first leg of their first-round series. They’ll meet again on Tuesday for the second leg at Inter Miami.
As a result, Inter Miami won’t be at full strength and some players could play limited minutes. The Inter Miami-NYCFC match time was pushed back five hours to account for the postponement of the SKC match from Tuesday to Wednesday due to snow.
“We know we have two very important games coming up,” Mascherano said Friday. “One is the start of the season, at our home, with our fans. You always want to make a statement in your opening game to the fans and the rest of the league. And, obviously, we know the importance of the game Tuesday. That’s why we must evaluate everything and then decide the lineup.”
MLS Matchday 1: What are this weekend’s games?
(All games available on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.)
Saturday
- Los Angeles FC vs. Minnesota United FC, 4:45 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Atlanta United vs. CF Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET
- FC Cincinnati vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Columbus Crew vs. Chicago Fire FC, 7:30 p.m. ET
- D.C. United vs. Toronto FC, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Orlando City SC vs. Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Austin FC vs. Sporting Kansas City, 8:30 p.m. ET
- Houston Dynamo FC vs. FC Dallas, 8:30 p.m. ET
- Nashville SC vs. New England Revolution, 8:30 p.m. ET
- St. Louis City SC vs. Colorado Rapids, 8:30 p.m. ET
- San Jose Earthquakes vs. Real Salt Lake, 10:30 p.m. ET
- Seattle Sounders FC vs. Charlotte FC, 10:30 p.m. ET
Sunday
‘WE’RE BREAKING GLASS’: Can MLS, Apple TV capitalize on soccer’s cultural momentum in US?
How to watch MLS games on TV?
This year, MLS and Apple have partnered with several companies so fans can readily access MLS games. DirecTV and Xfinity users can buy MLS Season Pass through their providers. T-Mobile customers can receive complimentary access to MLS Season Pass for the season. Android users can find MLS Season Pass in the Google Play Store. MLS games have also been available on Apple TV+ via Amazon Prime Video since last October. Simply put, you don’t need to have an Apple device to access MLS games.
You can read more here about the push MLS and Apple are making to reach new viewers here.
Inter Miami coach Javier Masherano faces tall task leading Messi
Messi will be coached by his former Barcelona and Argentina teammate Javier Mascherano during Inter Miami’s 2025 season. Despite the inherit pressure to help the club reach new heights, Mascherano is taking his new job in stride. It certainly helps having Messi and three other teammates in Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba by his side.
“I’m not under pressure. I’m here, trying to do my best, trying to help the players to have success,” Mascherano said during Inter Miami’s preseason. “We are happy because we are doing the right things. We see on the pitch that we are working (well). It’s important going forward, keeping the same mentality we have now.”
MLS commissioner Don Garber shares excitement for 2025, 2026
Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber believes the next two years will be a pivotal stretch for soccer in the United States. The 2025 MLS season marks the league’s 30th season. The FIFA Club World Cup will be played later this summer in the United States, and the FIFA World Cup next year is co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
“The World Cup is going to raise the attention of the sport in ways that nobody ever dreamed of,” Garber told USA TODAY Sports. “And I tell people who don’t understand soccer or MLS, they have no idea how big the World Cup is going to be. … Just wait, it’s going to be epic.”
