MIAMI — Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will host San Diego FC in a cross-conference Sunday Night Soccer matchup at Nu Stadium, riding momentum from a midweek Campeones Cup triumph and Messi’s 100th goal in a Herons jersey.
Miami sit second in the Eastern Conference with 45 points on a 12W-4L-9D record, though the defending MLS Cup champions have settled for three straight league draws. The most recent was a 2-2 result against Supporters’ Shield leaders Nashville SC on Matchday 26, as Sam Surridge’s 91st-minute equalizer allowed the Coyotes to escape South Florida with a late point.
The Herons shook off that frustration midweek with a 2-0 victory over LIGA MX’s Cruz Azul in the 2026 Michelob ULTRA Campeones Cup — the fourth title in club history and the first trophy won at Nu Stadium, the state-of-the-art downtown Miami venue that opened in April. Messi scored his 100th goal for Miami and added an assist in that match.
Messi leads MLS with 32 goal contributions — 19 goals and 13 assists — putting him on pace to clinch a historic third straight Landon Donovan MLS MVP award. Luis Suárez has produced 12 goals and 8 assists in league play this season, while Rodrigo De Paul has compiled 4 goals and 11 assists. Former Real Madrid and Manchester United midfielder Casemiro arrived over the summer to bolster an already loaded roster.
The match also marks the MLS managerial debut of incoming boss Cristian “Kily” González, who made his first appearance on the sidelines during the Campeones Cup. Miami are chasing history as they attempt to become the first back-to-back MLS Cup winners since the LA Galaxy in 2011-12.
San Diego arrive in dire form, sitting ninth in the Western Conference with 30 points on an 8W-11L-6D record and clinging to the final playoff spot. The Chrome-and-Azul have dropped three in a row, including a 5-0 home defeat to the Philadelphia Union — the most lopsided loss in club history. Anders Dreyer, the 2025 MLS Newcomer of the Year, leads San Diego with 20 goal contributions — 9 goals and 11 assists. Summer signing Elias Achouri, who represented Tunisia at the 2026 World Cup, has two goals in his first five starts, while fellow World Cup veteran Cédric Bakambu of DR Congo is awaiting his first MLS start after debuting with a goal off the bench last week. Center back Manu Duah, 21, has reportedly drawn interest from multiple clubs in Europe.
Odds heavily favor the hosts, with Miami earning a 66% win probability compared to 18% for San Diego, according to market insights current as of Thursday at 11 a.m. ET.