Kickoff: Saturday, August 1 — 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT (Miami) — 12:30 a.m. BST / 1:30 a.m. CEST Sunday, August 2 (Europe) Venue: Miami Freedom Park, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Inter Miami host Columbus Crew in a fixture that, on current form, looks about as one-sided as MLS produces — but a Messi-less Miami side still has plenty of questions to answer against a Columbus team that’s finally shown signs of life.Avengers: Doomsday Release Date Confirmed: Full Cast and Plot Breakdown
The Messi Situation
Lionel Messi’s status remains the story dominating build-up to this one. Having been excused from the MLS All-Star Game as part of the league’s new post-World Cup rest policy, there’s no indication Messi is being rushed back for this fixture either — Inter Miami have generally erred on the side of caution with his recovery timeline all summer, and nothing in recent reporting suggests that approach is changing now. Encouragingly for Miami fans, the team hasn’t needed him: they enter this match on a six-game winning streak, their longest in club history, scoring in each of their last 13 outings.
The Situation Beyond Messi
Inter Miami’s depth has carried them through his absence in impressive fashion. Luis Suárez has been the standout beneficiary, scoring six times across his last three MLS appearances, while Brazilian midfielder Casemiro has settled into the side following his high-profile debut. The Herons sit second in the Eastern Conference, just two points off Nashville SC, and a win here would keep the pressure on the league leaders heading into August.
Columbus, by contrast, have endured a genuinely difficult season — five wins, four draws and eight losses through 17 matches leaves them with just 19 points, a steep fall from a club that won the MLS Cup in 2023 and reached the Concacaf Champions Cup final the following year. Interim head coach Laurent Courtois, who replaced Henrik Rydström after his own unsuccessful stint following Wilfried Nancy’s departure, has at least steadied things recently, with the Crew winning two of their last three, including a derby win over FC Cincinnati.
Expected Lineups
Miami should field a strong attacking unit even without Messi, with Suárez leading the line and Casemiro anchoring midfield alongside the returning contributions of Tadeo Allende and Telasco Segovia on the flanks. New Designated Player Brais Méndez remains a fitness doubt after his summer arrival, with question marks over whether he’s ready for a starting role this early.
Columbus are expected to lean on Maximilian Arfsten, their top scorer with four goals this season, to provide the attacking spark against a Miami defense that’s been vulnerable at times despite the winning run.
Head-to-Head
Recent history heavily favors Miami. The two sides’ last meeting produced a 5-1 rout in Miami’s favor, part of a broader pattern of home dominance in this fixture. Columbus’s away form specifically has been a season-long weakness, adding to the difficulty of the task facing Courtois’s side on Saturday.
Prediction
Given Miami’s red-hot scoring form and Columbus’s ongoing defensive fragility — they’ve conceded in back-to-back matches — a home win looks the clear favorite outcome, with goals at both ends likely given how open both attacks have been all season. A repeat of last season’s high-scoring meeting wouldn’t be a surprise, even without Messi in the lineup.
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