Lionel Messi & Inter Miami host San Diego in cross-conference clash

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Major League Soccer

·17 September 2026

Lionel Messi & Inter Miami host San Diego in cross-conference clash

By Jaime Uribarri

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF host Anders Dreyer and San Diego FC in a fascinating cross-conference matchup on Matchday 27's Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire.

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How to watch & stream

Apple TV

When

Sunday, Sept. 20 | 7 pm ET/4 pm PT

Where

Nu Stadium | Miami, Florida

Match Trailer | Inter Miami ready for San Diego FC

Inter Miami CF

Standings

2nd in Eastern Conference
45 points (12W-4L-9D)

Last game

Miami settled for a 2-2 home draw against Supporters' Shield leaders Nashville SC on Matchday 26. The Coyotes escaped South Florida with a late point thanks to Sam Surridge's 91st-minute equalizer.

It was the third straight league draw for the Herons, who bounced back midweek by winning the fourth title in club history, courtesy of their 2-0 victory over LIGA MX's Cruz Azul in the 2026 Michelob ULTRA Campeones Cup.

Messi scored his 100th goal for Miami and added an assist to secure their first trophy win at Nu Stadium, the club's state-of-the-art, downtown Miami home ground that opened its doors in April.

Players to watch

Lionel Messi: With a league-best 32 goal contributions (19g/13a), Messi is on pace to clinch a historic third straight Landon Donovan MLS MVP award.
Luis Suárez: The legendary Uruguayan striker continues to score at an elite level, producing 12g/8a in MLS action this season.
Rodrigo De Paul: Messi's now-former Argentina teammate is still the No. 10's "Bodyguard" on the Herons, all while maintaining a 4g/11a stat sheet.
Casemiro: The former Real Madrid and Manchester United midfielder arrived over the summer to add even more star power to Miami's A-List roster.

Need to know

Miami's trophy-winning culture is as strong as ever, as evidenced by Wednesday's Campeones Cup triumph.

Now, the defending league champions have serious wind in their sails as they look to become the first back-to-back MLS Cup presented by Audi winners since the LA Galaxy in 2011-12.

The Herons head into Sunday Night Soccer with a new title in tow, and a new head coach as well. Incoming boss Cristian "Kily" González made his first appearance on the sidelines for Miami in Campeones Cup, and will make his MLS managerial debut against San Diego.

San Diego FC

Standings

9th in Western Conference
30 points (8W-11L-6D)

Last game

San Diego are coming off their most lopsided loss in club history, a 5-0 home defeat to the Philadelphia Union.

The Chrome-and-Azul have dropped three in a row and are clinging to the final Audi MLS Cup Playoffs spot in the Western Conference.

Players to watch

Anders Dreyer: The 2025 MLS Newcomer of the Year, Dreyer has a team-best 20 goal contributions (9g/11a) this season.
Elias Achouri: Achouri, who represented Tunisia at this summer's World Cup, has two goals in his first five starts for San Diego.
Cédric Bakambu: A fellow summer signing and 2026 World Cup veteran with DR Congo, Bakambu is awaiting his first MLS start after debuting with a goal off the bench last week.
Manu Duah: The 21-year-old Duah's emergence as one of MLS's best young center backs has reportedly led to interest from multiple clubs in Europe.

Need to know

It's been an up-and-down second season for San Diego, who've experienced their fair share of the dreaded sophomore slump after topping the Western Conference during a historic 2025 MLS expansion campaign.

However, a second straight playoff appearance is still very much in the cards for the Chrome-and-Azul. That will especially be the case if they deliver a statement win on the road against Messi and the reigning MLS Cup champs under the Sunday Night Soccer spotlight.