Lionel Messi got off to the perfect start to life in Miami as he scored a last-minute free-kick to secure a win over Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup.
The 36-year-old's goal ended a six-game winless run for Inter Miami, giving them a positive start to the cup competition. Fellow Barcelona legend Sergio Busquets also made his debut for the Herons in the match.
Messi won't be able to make an impact in the MLS until August 21, which is the date for Miami's next scheduled fixture in the league. The Argentina international will want to stay fit for that game against Charlotte. By that date, he will be joined by Jordi Alba and potentially Luis Suarez.
The Sporting News looks at the likelihood of Inter Miami winning the MLS title this season.
MORE: Breaking down Lionel Messi's play in memorable debut for Inter Miami
Can Inter Miami win the MLS title? Playoff format explained
Inter Miami have had a dreadful start to their 2023 MLS campaign. They are currently bottom of the Eastern Conference, having picked up just 18 points from their 22 league fixtures.
Gerardo Martino has now replaced Phil Neville as manager, but there is still a lot of work to be done. The Leagues Cup has come at a perfect time for Martino, who can now integrate his new players and settle them in before the league restarts.
To qualify for the playoffs, Miami will need to finish at least ninth in the Eastern Conference. They are currently 12 points behind D.C. United in ninth place, but they also have two games in hand.
The top seven teams in each conference automatically qualify for the first round of the playoffs. The teams who finish eighth and ninth will face each other in a one-off game, with the winner facing the first seed in the next round.
The first round of playoffs will now be a best of three series. Each match must have a winner, with any ties after 90 minutes in a game going to straight to penalties. From the Conference semifinals onwards, the format will return to single elimination match, which will be hosted by the higher seed in the tie.
If the matches from the Conference semifinals onwards end as a draw after 90 minutes, the sides will play extra time before penalties.
Have Inter Miami won MLS Cup before?
Inter Miami first entered the league in January 2020 with Diego Alonso as manager of the side. They finished 10th in the conference standings, which qualified them for the play-off round. However, they lost 3-0 to Nashville in what was Alonso's final match in charge.
The Herons failed to qualify for the post-season tournament in their first season under Phil Neville. He could only lead them to an 11th place finish in the Eastern Conference, winning just 12 of their 34 MLS fixtures.
Things turned around in 2022 as Miami managed to secure a spot in Round One of the playoffs after finishing sixth in the league. Despite their strong finish, they are still yet to win a play-off match as they lost 3-0 to New York City FC in the first round.
MORE: All the trophies that Lionel Messi can win with Inter Miami
MLS Cup 2023 betting odds, favourites
FC Cincinnati are currently the favourites to win the 2023 MLS Cup. They are cruising through the Eastern Conference at the moment, losing just two of their 23 league games.
Despite St. Louis City currently leading the Western Conference, 2022 Champions LAFC are preferred by the bookmakers as potential champions in the 2023 campaign too.
| MLS Cup 2023 winners odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sky Bet (UK) | Sports Interaction (CAN) | BetMGM (USA) |
| FC Cincinnati (7/2) | FC Cincinnati (5.16) | FC Cincinnati (5.00) |
| LAFC (11/2) | LAFC (6.89) | LAFC (7.00) |
| Philadelphia (7/1) | Philadelphia (9.00) | Philadelphia (9.00) |
| New England (9/1) | St. Louis City (12.00) | New England (11.00) |
| Nashville (12/1) | New England (13.00) | St. Louis City (11.00) |