Lionel Messi will pursue his 47th title for club and country when Inter Miami visits the Seattle Sounders for the 2025 Leagues Cup final on Sunday, Aug. 31.
Messi is healthy after a stellar return from a recent right hamstring injury, scoring two goals in a 3-1 win against Orlando City in the semifinals to propel Inter Miami to the Leagues Cup final.
Inter Miami and Seattle were two of the three MLS clubs to represent Major League Soccer in the FIFA Club World Cup and have been two of the best teams in the league since the tournament earlier this summer.
Seattle has outscored their Leagues Cup opponents 13-2 en route to the final, while losing just once despite three draws in their last 14 matches across all competitions.
Inter Miami has two losses in their last 14 matches overall, and navigated Messi’s injury to beat Club Necaxa, Pumas UNAM and Tigres UANL before he returned to beat Orlando for the first time this season last Wednesday.
“We know the rival very well; they’ve had a great tournament and scored many goals. With their fans behind them, they’ll be eager to win, just like us,” Inter Miami’s Rodrigo De Paul, also Messi’s World Cup champion teammate, said before the match.
Inter Miami could win its second Leagues Cup title and their third of the Messi era with a win in Seattle. Inter Miami won the first Leagues Cup in stellar fashion, outlasting Nashville SC on the road in a 10-9 penalty shootout in August 2023. They also won the 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield.
USA TODAY Sports will have full coverage of the Leagues Cup final between Inter Miami and the Seattle Sounders. Follow along for updates.
Watch the Leagues Cup final on MLS Season Pass How to buy Inter Miami vs Seattle Sounders Leagues Cup Final soccer tickets
What time is the Seattle Sounders vs. Inter Miami Leagues Cup final?
The match begins at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. in Seattle and 9 p.m. in Argentina) at Lumen Field in Seattle.
Where to watch Leagues Cup 2025 final on TV and live stream?
The match is available to live stream on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV, and the Apple TV+ channel on Amazon Prime, Xfinity and DirecTV. The match is also available in Spanish on Univision and TUDN.
Is Messi playing tonight?
Yes, Messi is expected to play in the match, coach Javier Mascherano confirmed one day earlier.
Seattle Sounders vs. Inter Miami starting lineups
Messi is expected to be in Inter Miami’s starting lineup. Both clubs will announce their starting lineups roughly an hour before the match.
Seattle Sounders vs. Inter Miami: Leagues Cup betting odds
Seattle is the favorite to win the Leagues Cup final. Here are the betting odds during regulation, according to BETMGM.
Seattle: +105
Draw: +240
Inter Miami: +195
Over/under: 2.5 goals
Seattle Sounders vs. Inter Miami Leagues Cup prediction
Inter Miami 3, Seattle Sounders 2: Lionel Messi scores two goals, Luis Suarez adds another, and Inter Miami hoists the Leagues Cup trophy after a thriller in Seattle. While the Sounders have been one of the best clubs in MLS since the Club World Cup, Messi returned to form from a hamstring injury and should propel Inter Miami to their third trophy together. — Safid Deen, Lionel Messi reporter.
Flashback: Inter Miami wins 2023 Leagues Cup highlights
Messi scored an early goal, and Inter Miami outlasted Nashville SC in penalty kicks to win the 2023 Leagues Cup title shortly after his arrival to MLS and the U.S.
Messi to join Argentina after Leagues Cup final
Messi will play with Argentina in a World Cup qualifying match against Venezuela in Buenos Aires on Sept. 4. The match could be one of the last matches Messi plays in his home country, with no other matches scheduled in the next year.
“It’s going to be a very, very special match for me because it’s the last qualifying match,” Messi said after the Orlando City match. “I don’t know if there will be friendlies or more matches after [Venezuela], but it is a very special match, so my family will be there with me: my wife, my children, my parents, my siblings. We’re going to live it like that. I don’t know what will happen next.”
Messi, 38, has yet to declare he will play with the defending champions in the next World Cup hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Messi upcoming schedule with Inter Miami and Argentina
Sept. 4: Argentina vs. Venezuela (World Cup qualifying)
Sept. 9: Ecuador vs. Argentina (World Cup qualifying)
Sept. 13: Charlotte FC vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m. (MLS regular season)
Sept. 16: Inter Miami vs. Seattle Sounders, 7:30 p.m. (MLS regular season)
Sept. 20: Inter Miami vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m. (MLS regular season)
Sept. 24: New York City FC vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m. (MLS regular season)
Sept. 27: Toronto FC vs. Inter Miami, 4:30 p.m. (MLS regular season)
Sept. 30: Inter Miami vs. Chicago Fire, 7:30 p.m. (MLS regular season)