Inter Miami star Lionel Messi will have the chance to end a difficult run of form when his side hosts Cruz Azul in the Campeones Cup on Wednesday.
The one-off match at NU Stadium offers Messi a rare opportunity to avoid finishing the season without lifting any silverware for the club.
Miami have struggled for consistency of late, winning just once in nine games, with three successive draws leaving them stuck in a frustrating rut.
Their most recent dropped points came on Sunday in a 2-2 draw against Eastern Conference leaders Nashville, despite Messi scoring a superb left-footed finish for his 99th goal in 114 appearances for the club.
Interim manager Guillermo Hoyos was full of admiration for his captain after the game, noting that Messi currently tops the MLS scoring charts with 19 goals in 22 appearances this season.
“God gave him this gift,” Hoyos said. “He’s a one of a kind player … he cannot be repeated.”
The draw allowed Nashville to maintain a nine-point advantage at the top of the Eastern Conference, with Sam Surridge grabbing his second goal of the game in stoppage time to deny Miami all three points.
Incoming head coach Cristian “Kily” Gonzalez is yet to officially take charge, with his work visa approval taking longer than expected, leaving Hoyos to continue managing the side in the interim.
“They’ve found someone who, in my view, is the perfect fit, highly capable and truly able to help take the club to the level it deserves to reach,” Hoyos said of Gonzalez’s appointment. “When Kily arrives, we’ll surely get together to talk and discuss things.”
For Messi personally, Wednesday’s match carries added emotional weight, coming after the death of his father Jorge and his subsequent retirement from international football with Argentina.
The Campeones Cup holds particular significance for Messi, as it was against Cruz Azul that he made his Inter Miami debut, scoring a stunning stoppage-time free-kick to win the 2023 Leagues Cup opener.
Miami went on to win the Leagues Cup that year, beating Nashville in the final on penalties, and have since added the 2024 Supporters’ Shield and 2025 MLS Cup to their growing collection of silverware.
Cruz Azul arrive in Florida in fine domestic form, having won three consecutive Liga MX matches including a thrilling 4-3 derby victory over Club America in the Clasico Joven at the Estadio Azteca.
The Mexican side surged into a 3-0 first-half lead before eventually holding on, with two late goals making for a nervy conclusion for Joel Huiqui’s team.
“Obviously, the ending got a bit messy,” Huiqui admitted. “Look, the other team’s got quality too but what matters is that we learn from this, realise we need to tighten up and stop making these kinds of mistakes.”
Cruz Azul sealed their 10th Mexican title in May, beating Pumas UNAM 2-1 on aggregate thanks to Rodolfo Rotondi’s dramatic stoppage-time winner, with Huiqui having been in interim charge for only seven games at the time.
“The championship feels like revenge, like a release,” said Rotondi, the Argentine midfielder who had been devastated by giving away the penalty that cost Cruz Azul the 2024 title against the same opponents. “I was in the eye of the storm, but I bit my tongue, I didn’t make any statements … and now it’s time to really enjoy this moment.”
Captain Erik Lira was instrumental in Saturday’s derby win, opening the scoring with a composed finish and providing an assist for Gabriel Fernandez’s goal, despite a transfer to French club Monaco collapsing on deadline day.
“What he brings to the team is just incredible, and seeing him celebrate like that, watching the fans go absolutely nuts for him, it’s just awesome,” said Huiqui of his captain.
Huiqui made clear his ambitions heading into the Miami match, saying: “I hope he can achieve what he’s dreaming of, but I want him to leave with a trophy. Let’s win against Miami on Wednesday and then the league title. After that, who knows?”
