Lionel Messi, Inter Miami vs. CF Montreal: Time, TV, how to live stream Wednesday
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Lionel Messi and struggling Inter Miami remain a work in progress with two matches remaining before the FIFA Club World Cup next month.
Inter Miami, which had the best regular season in MLS history last year, is seventh in the MLS Eastern Conference after a recent stretch of just two wins, three draws and five losses in their last 10 matches across all competitions.
Messi's side desperately needs a victory, but it isn't a forgone conclusion one could come Wednesday when Inter Miami hosts CF Montreal – ranked last place in the East, and second-to-last among all MLS teams.
"Regardless of their position, I think if you watch Montreal's games, you'll see that in many of them they deserved much more than they got," Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said before Tuesday's training session.
Montreal enters the match after relinquishing leads and settling for draws at home against two standouts MLS clubs in their last three matches: They finished 1-1 against Columbus Crew on May 14, and drew 2-2 against LAFC on May 28.
Inter Miami ousted LAFC from the Concacaf Champions Cup earlier this season. They beat Columbus Crew 1-0 on April 19, and will host the Crew on Saturday before preparing for the Club World Cup.
Inter Miami enters the Montreal match after storming back with two late goals – a Messi free kick, and another assisted by Messi – in a 3-3 draw with the first-place Philadelphia Union last Saturday. Overall, Inter Miami has conceded 23 goals while scoring 16 goals in their last 10 matches.
"Above all, I want to prioritize and focus on ourselves, try to maintain what we've done in Philadelphia, improve in some areas – especially defensively – and get another win to boost the team's confidence," Mascherano said.
When is the Inter Miami vs. CF Montreal match?
Inter Miami hosts CF Montreal at Chase Stadium on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
How to watch Inter Miami vs. CF Montreal live stream?
The match will be available to stream on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.
Is Messi playing vs. CF Montreal on Wednesday?
Messi is expected to play against Montreal, but his status will be confirmed when Inter Miami announces its starting lineup an hour before the match begins.
How has Inter Miami fared in their last 10 matches?
April 13: Inter Miami settles for scoreless draw on the road vs. Chicago Fire.
Messi to join Argentina before Club World Cup
Messi has been called up by the defending World Cup champions, and expected to play with Argentina for two qualifying matches for the 2026 tournament. Argentina will visit Chile on June 5 and host Colombia on June 10.
Messi, Inter Miami upcoming schedule
May 28: Inter Miami vs. CF Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET
Inter Miami vs. CF Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET May 31: Inter Miami vs. Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m. ET
Messi, Inter Miami schedule for Club World Cup
June 14: Inter Miami vs. Al Alhy, 8 p.m. ET (Hard Rock Stadium in Miami)
Inter Miami vs. Al Alhy, 8 p.m. ET (Hard Rock Stadium in Miami) June 19: Inter Miami vs FC Porto, 3 p.m. ET (Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta)
Inter Miami vs FC Porto, 3 p.m. ET (Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta) June 23: Inter Miami vs. Palmerias, 9 p.m. ET (Hard Rock Stadium in Miami)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
43 minutes ago
- New York Times
The Abu Dhabi derby – Man City v Al Ain is a contest between royal brothers
Many brothers share a love of the same sport, even for the same football team. If you are from the House of Al Nayhan, however, your means to pursue those passions are far greater than most. Atlanta will witness that tonight when it hosts Manchester City vs Al Ain in the Club World Cup, pitting not just two brothers against one another for 90 minutes but the president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) against the deputy president. Advertisement The founding father of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, had 30 children to multiple wives but the six full brothers born from his third wife are the ruling family of Abu Dhabi and hold many of the senior roles in the UAE government. They are known as Bani Fatima (the sons of Fatima) but it is Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan who is best known in the sports world for his purchase of Manchester City in 2008 via Abu Dhabi United Group. He is vice-president of the UAE and deputy prime minister of Abu Dhabi, and was appointed as minister of the UAE's presidential court in July 2022. The person who handed him that title? His elder brother Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan — known as MBZ — the president of UAE and ruler of the capital city Abu Dhabi, who is also the president of Al Ain FC. Al Ain is very much, like the levers of power in the UAE, a family affair. He has held the position since 1979 with another of the brothers Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed serving as chairman. His father provided financial assistance and land for the club's first headquarters before his son Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan delivered a new stadium. In MBZ's 46-year presidency, Al Ain became the first club in the UAE to adopt professional status across multiple sports. They are the most successful club in the UAE with 14 Pro League championships, seven President's Cups and two Asian Champions League titles — the most of any club from the gulf state. Their second continental triumph in 2024 was overseen by former Argentina striker Hernan Crespo. It qualified them for this newly-expanded tournament in the U.S. and saw the team hosted by the president at Qasr Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi to celebrate. Two of the other brothers Sheikh Hazza and Sheikh Hamdan were in attendance but Sheikh Mansour was not, although he was at a reception in May to congratulate the presidential camel racing team on a successful season. It will be big brother versus little brother but there is another sub-plot in the sponsors that the teams associate with. At the start of the month Al Ain announced Emirates as an official partner and airline of the club to coincide with the Club World Cup and they will wear the company's logo on their training jerseys from next season. The company is owned by the government of Dubai, through its investment arm the Investment Corporation of Dubai. Advertisement Manchester City have been sponsored by Etihad — wholly owned by the government of Abu Dhabi, through its sovereign wealth fund ADQ — since 2009 and have refused to wear Emirates sleeve patches in the FA Cup since 2015 due to the airline being a direct rival of Etihad. The family's involvement in sport is extensive but the majority of the teams in the Pro League are presided over by descendants of the Al Maktoum (Dubai) and Al Nahyan (Abu Dhabi) families who are linked through generations of marriages and political alliances that form the structure of the UAE's ruling families. The president of Shabab Al Ahli, the dominant team at the moment having won two of the past three league titles, is Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, the crown prince of Dubai. MBZ's son Sheikh Theyab bin Zayed Al Nahyan founded Al Wahda in 2013 and serves as their president. They finished third last season, four points above his father's Al Ain side. The president of Al Wasl, Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is MBZ's half-brother. Al Wasl finished fourth last season. City owner Sheikh Mansour is president of his own team in the UAE. Indeed, his investment in Al Jazira was his first foray into the sport. The stadium is named after MBZ but on the rare occasion that Sheikh Mansour came to a match against his half-brother's team Al Wada, one person who was there jokes that the security presence was so large that it almost outnumbered the fans in the stadium. Al Jazira is the same club that Football Leaks alleged in 2018 were paying Roberto Mancini a second wage while he was manager at City to help stay within financial fair play limits. Mancini and City have always denied any wrongdoing. Despite the familial links, City Football Group's (CFG) portfolio of 13 clubs across the world does not contain Al Jazira or Al Ain. They have remained distinct but CFG tend to only add clubs who can strategically enhance their player recruitment ladder. Advertisement City have always strongly denied any state involvement in the ownership and control of the club, though The Athletic revealed in March that the mysterious 'Person X' who facilitated sponsorship payments to City in one of the deals being investigated by the Premier League was, at the time, a key aide of MBZ. Jaber Mohamed worked as the General Director of the Crown Prince's Court (CPC), an Abu Dhabi government body that runs the public affairs of the then Crown Prince, MBZ. City did not respond to requests for comment at the time and have always denied any wrongdoing in relation to the Premier League's investigation. But has Sheikh Mansour's purchase of Manchester City 17 years ago created or changed how football is viewed in the UAE and its position within the culture? Those who have gone to live and coach in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the two major cities, say there is a much more global football presence now but that a burgeoning grassroots culture is difficult to achieve and attendances can be in the hundreds or low thousands. That is partly due to demographics. The UAE's population is over 10million but almost 90 per cent of it are expatriates. Locals comprise a small minority of just over one million people. Al Ain is the fourth biggest city in the UAE — although it is still within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi — and has the highest proportion of Emiratis living there than any other city in the country but cricket remains a far more popular sport with the Asian diaspora. As an illustration of crowd sizes, Al Ain won a league award for the best average attendance over three rounds during the 2022 season with an average of 1,707 fans per game. However, in this season's AFC Champions League they have recorded crowds of between 6,000 to 24,000. There has been investment from Pro League clubs in growing the game as each has an academy and there are rules designed to ensure young local players are given a platform. Advertisement Teams are only allowed to include five foreign players in the squad and can only register up to five 'resident' players — not Emirati nationals living in the UAE — with a maximum total of eight permitted in a matchday squad and a combined total of six allowed on the pitch at one time. Most of the football clubs started as social clubs. They were there to cater for the community and most of them have other sports clubs that compete under the same banner. Many of the clubs are focused on giving back to the community but it is the major European clubs who flock to Dubai, the bigger tourist destination than Abu Dhabi, to set up training camps for kids. Tom Byer, who played an important role in reshaping Japan's grass roots programme over two decades ago, believes all the money and coaches in the world cannot grow a country into a talent factory. It has to be more organic. 'I've been to Dubai recently. It's a very interesting place but it's easy to see it's below the level of Japan, Korea,' he says. 'My whole thing is that football starts off with culture. It's the head start that the kids get so the football world has convinced everyone to believe that a country needs more coaches, more curriculums, more billion dollar facilities. 'They have to understand it is about pre-team, it starts at home before organised football comes into it. You can have hotbeds of developments but not with the formula. 'It's very well organised. Kids come for free and they bus them in a they have infrastructure. It probably needs better coaching but for quality coaching to be impactful you have to have kids who can benefit from it. Skill acquisition happens very young.' At senior level, after a 5-0 defeat to Juventus, head coach Vladimir Ivic is looking to see how his team can improve when they face City. Advertisement 'We are here and knew that we play against them four or five months ago,' he said. 'We knew the group were preparing game by game. It is a pleasure to play against such a big club. We want to see where we are and how we compare to ourselves to a team like City and Juventus. To show ourselves in the best way.' The coach was also asked before the game against a fellow royal if he has had contact with MBZ. 'No, no,' he said. (Top image: OZAN KOSE / AFP via Getty Images)
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Ex Marseille Star Squanders Opportunity To Impress In Inter Milan 2-1 Urawa Red Diamonds FIFA Club World Cup Win
Ex Marseille Star Squanders Opportunity To Impress In Inter Milan 2-1 Urawa Red Diamonds FIFA Club World Cup Win Luis Henrique failed to take advantage of a chance to make his mark in Inter Milan's 2-1 Club World Cup win over Urawa Red Diamonds. Today's print edition of Rome-based newspaper Corriere dello Sport, via FCInterNews, argue that there was no end product from the Brazilian. Advertisement Luis Henrique made his first start for Inter Milan against Urawa Red Diamonds yesterday. The Brazilian had just signed for Inter a couple weeks ago. And Henrique had already shown flashes of his quality with his substitute appearance against Monterrey a few days ago. Therefore, Luis Henrique was certainly one of the main players to watch in the Inter starting eleven against Urawa Reds. Luis Henrique Fails To Impress For Inter Vs Urawa Red Diamonds Welcome Inter Milan Luis Henrique Article Image In the view of the Gazzetta dello Sport, however, Luis Henrique looked very much below par. The Brazilian did look to use his pace and technical ability from time to time. Advertisement However, Henrique generally would size up his defender and go sideways. He was unable to really cause any panic in the Urawa Reds defense with any of the dribbles he attempted. In wide areas, the Brazilian had little effect on the match. Then around the penalty area, very little that Henrique attempted came off. There is no doubt that Luis Henrique is a player with quality. However, that failed to materialize into anything tangible yesterday.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Old Reliable – Netherlands Star Hailed For Solid Display In Inter Milan 2-1 Urawa Red Diamonds FIFA Club World Cup Win
Old Reliable – Netherlands Star Hailed For Solid Display In Inter Milan 2-1 Urawa Red Diamonds FIFA Club World Cup Win Stefan de Vrij has won praise for a solid display at the back for Inter Milan against Urawa Red Diamonds yesterday. Today's print edition of Rome-based newspaper Corriere dello Sport, via FCInterNews, hail the ever reliable Dutchman for his composure and control of his penalty area. Advertisement Stefan de Vrij started for Inter Milan against Urawa Red Diamonds. The 33-year-old took the place of Francesco Acerbi in the starting eleven from Inter's first Club World Cup group stage match against Monterrey. It was not necessarily the kind of match in which de Vrij typically thrives. The former Lazio and Feyenoord defender is a very physical player with plenty of experience. Therefore, his comfort zone tends to be marking equally physical centre-forwards. And Urawa Reds played without a real out-and-out striker for much of the match. Instead, quick winger Yatsuke Matsuo played up front for the Japanese team. Stefan De Vrij Praised For Solid Display Vs Urawa Red Diamonds VERONA, ITALY – NOVEMBER 23: Stefan de Vrij of FC Internazionale celebrates after scoring his team fourth goal during the Serie A match between Verona and FC Internazionale at Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi on November 23, 2024 in Verona, Italy. (Photo by) De Vrij didn't have too much of a problem adjusting to what Urawa Reds threw at him, though. Advertisement The 33-year-old safeguarded the Inter penalty area well. He was not really at fault for the Urawa Reds opening goal. And de Vrij's anticipation meant that he was always a step ahead of the Urawa Reds forwards to the ball. Therefore, there was virtually no real danger from the Japanese team except for on their goal.
