Inter Miami CF (12W-4L-5D, 41 points) will host Eastern Conference leaders FC Cincinnati (15W-6L-3D, 48 points) this Saturday, July 26. The MLS regular season match is scheduled for a 7:15 p.m. ET kickoff at Chase Stadium.
The match coincides with “Riptide Night,” a special event presented by club partner Royal Caribbean. As part of the celebration, Inter Miami will debut its new Riptide third kit. Festivities begin at 3 p.m. ET with a beach-themed pre-match party, “Rise with the Tide,” at the Baptist Health Community Field, followed by additional fan activities and activations in the Fan Zone.
Inter Miami enters the contest in strong form, having won six of its last seven regular season matches. The team is coming off a dominant 5-1 road victory over the New York Red Bulls. In that match, captain Lionel Messi scored two goals and provided two assists, while midfielder Telasco Segovia also recorded a brace and defender Jordi Alba added a goal and two assists.
Following his performance, Messi was named MLS Player of the Matchday for the fifth time this season. His 11 career Player of the Matchday honors tie him for the fifth-most in league history. Messi, along with Segovia, Alba, and head coach Javier Mascherano, were also named to the MLS Team of the Matchday.
The club’s attack has been formidable this season, accounting for 42 of the team’s 49 MLS goals. Messi leads the team and is tied for first in the Golden Boot race with 18 goals. He is followed by Tello Allende and Telasco Segovia with seven goals each, and Luis Suárez with five.
Saturday will mark the 13th all-time meeting between the two clubs, with Inter Miami holding a slight edge in the series with six wins to Cincinnati’s five, alongside one draw. In their most recent encounter on July 16, Cincinnati secured a 3-0 home victory. The match may feature a reunion with former Inter Miami players DeAndre Yedlin and Alvas Powell, who are now with FC Cincinnati.
Cincinnati arrives in South Florida after a 1-0 away win against Real Salt Lake. The Ohio-based side sits atop the Eastern Conference standings, led by attacking midfielder Evander, who has registered 15 goals and eight assists this season.
The match will be broadcast globally on MLS Season Pass through the Apple TV app. Local English-language radio coverage is available on ESPN 106.3, with a Spanish-language broadcast on Deportes Radio 760AM. For fans attending, Brightline will offer its “GOOOL GETTER” trains with complimentary shuttles to Chase Stadium.
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