Following the disappointing end to 2024, Lionel Messi begins the quest for redemption as Inter Miami open their 2025 MLS campaign with a home match against NYCFC on Saturday.
The Herons won the Supporters’ Shield last year as the best team across the MLS regular season, but they fell well short of expectations in the playoffs as they were upset early by Atlanta United. Head coach Tata Martino left the club in the aftermath, with Javier Mascherano taking over.
This match was meant to be the curtain-raiser for the Major League Soccer campaign as a whole, but kickoff was pushed back to the evening after Inter Miami’s midweek CONCACAF Champions Cup match was delayed by a day.
Messi opened his 2025 account on Wednesday as Inter Miami topped Sporting KC in the first leg of their Round One matchup, indicating the Argentine legend is ready to hit the ground running at the start of the year.
NYCFC, meanwhile, finished last season in sixth, qualifying for the playoffs and reaching the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Jugo Mobile is following the Inter Miami vs. NYCFC match live, providing score updates, commentary.
Latest live updates | Team news and lineups | How to watch where you are
Inter Miami vs. NYCFC score
| Score | Goal scorers | |
| Inter Miami | – | – |
| NYCFC | – | – |
Location: Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)Referee: Rosendo Mendoza
Starting lineups:
Inter Miami (4-4-1-1, right to left): 19. Ustari (GK) — 57. Weigandt, 6. Aviles, 32. Allen, 18. Alba — 7. Picault, 30. Cremaschi, 5. Busquets, 41. D. Ruiz — 10. Messi — 9. Suarez.
NYCFC (4-2-3-1, right to left): 49. Freese (GK) — 35. Ilenic, 5. Risa, 19. Tanasijevic, 22. O’Toole — 80. Haak, 55. Parks — 17. Wolf, 10. Moralez, 26. Ojeda— 16. A. Martinez.
Inter Miami vs. NYCFC live updates, highlights from MLS opener
15 mins to kickoff: Lionel Messi already has a goal on the season, bagging the only strike against Sporting KC midweek in the 1-0 CONCACAF Champions Cup victory. Can he open his MLS account tonight? Kickoff is minutes away!
MESSI SCORES TO BREAK THE DEADLOCK FOR MIAMI! pic.twitter.com/1JsnQCU5G6
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) February 20, 2025
30 mins to kickoff: For NYCFC, Maxi Moralez may be 37 years old, but he starts on Opening Day once again for NYCFC. Also of note, he has his No. 10 shirt back after the departure of Santiago Rodriguez. Despite a six-month stint at Argentine side Racing in 2023, Moralez has been with the MLS club since joining eight years ago, blossoming into a fan favorite.
Head coach Pascal Jansen has made some slight alterations from last year’s side, but aside from Rodriguez’s exit and the loss of James Sands, this roster is largely the same. The most glaring absence is that of captain Thiago Martins at center-back, who is unavailable due to injury along with full-back Tayvon Gray.
Here to stay ?
Maxi Moralez re-signs with @newyorkcityfc: https://t.co/Gcz6mr2YAB pic.twitter.com/iVqdK0gMmW
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) January 14, 2025
45 mins to kickoff: Lineups are in. For Inter Miami, there’s some rotation as expected, but Lionel Messi starts as does Luis Suarez. David Ruiz also enters the lineup, as does Fafa Picault for his full Inter Miami debut. Benjamin Cremaschi enters in midfield, with Federico Redondo moving to the bench.
The most interesting decision from Javier Mascherano is to deploy natural left-back Noah Allen at center-back, with Jordi Alba coming in. With Maxi Falcon brought in during the offseason, it’s a curious move for Allen to be deployed in the middle.
1 hour to kickoff: While we await lineups, one player we know won’t be involved for NYCFC is Santiago Rodriguez, whom the club announced has joined Botafogo, reportedly for a whopping $17 million transfer fee, the second-highest in club history.
1 hour 15 mins to kick: NYCFC head coach Pascal Jansen is keenly aware of Inter Miami’s ability to score goals, not only to put themselves ahead, but also to pull themselves back from deficits.
“I see a team on the pitch in Miami that loves to play the game, they enjoy playing together,” Jansen said. “They look forward to each and every game. They’ve won a lot of games from being a goal down, is something that’s shown over the games they’ve played.”
How do you prepare for Messi & his friends?#NYCFC coach Pascal Jansen got a good look in their 1-0 win vs SKC in the CCC mid-week.
Listen?
From our Pregame Show ahead of live hometown commentary for City’s match at Inter Miami.
715p ET at https://t.co/BSHx8DiM2g… pic.twitter.com/n906fc6Ww9
— Glenn Crooks (@GlennCrooks) February 22, 2025
1 hour 30 mins to kick: Inter Miami will wear their home pinks for this MLS opener tonight.
Feels good to be home ? @FrachtGroup pic.twitter.com/53SwdfH2VE
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) February 22, 2025
1 hour 45 mins to kick: Inter Miami’s hunt for redemption in 2025 will come with a new man at the helm in Javier Mascherano. The former Messi teammate with both Barcelona and Argentina is now in charge, having worked in the Argentine youth system before being hired by the Herons for his first senior managerial gig.
It’s a risky move by Inter Miami, who were led by the veteran Gerardo Martino until his departure this past offseason. They are banking on the chemistry between Mascherano and Messi outshining his significant inexperience.
Javier Mascherano is ready for his first season as Inter Miami head coach ? pic.twitter.com/n1NAenN3Ac
— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 21, 2025
2 hours to kickoff: While it’s expected that Lionel Messi will take the field tonight, there IS a small chance that the Argentine does not start this MLS game.
Head coach Javier Mascherano indicated that he would potentially rotate the squad given the simultaneous battle in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, but he did not give specifics on who would be considered to sit.
?️ Javier Mascherano said today that Inter Miami will have some absences in Saturday’s season opener vs New York City FC:
“No, everyone is not available and I am not going to say who. I am not going to give any clues. The majority will be available.”#InterMiamiCF #Messi? pic.twitter.com/9dT6CpXH5F
— Franco Panizo (@FrancoPanizo) February 21, 2025
Inter Miami vs. NYCFC kick off time
This MLS season-opening match kicks off from Chase Stadium on Saturday, February 22 at 7:30 p.m. local time in Ft. Lauderdale. Here’s how that time translates across the time zones in North America:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| Eastern Time | Sat, Feb. 22 | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Central Time | Sat, Feb. 22 | 6:30 p.m. CT |
| Mountain Time | Sat, Feb. 22 | 5:30 p.m. MT |
| Pacific Time | Sat, Feb. 22 | 4:30 p.m. PT |
Inter Miami vs. NYCFC lineups, team news
Goalkeeper Drake Callender is reportedly recovered from his offseason groin injury suffered while on USMNT international duty, and is expected to start despite sitting for the CONCACAF Champions Cup match midweek. If he still can’t go, Oscar Ustari would remain in net.
Head coach Javier Mascherano did indicate that he would protect certain players from injury in this match so that they can remain fit for the second leg of their continental matchup to come in a few days, but he did not specify who.
New Inter Miami offseason additions who could factor in include defenders Maxi Falcon and Gonzalo Lujan, plus winger Fafa Picault, while the likes of Diego Gomez, Matias Rojas, Leo Campana, and Facundo Farias have departed.
Inter Miami starting lineup (4-4-1-1): Ustari (GK) — Weigandt, Aviles, Allen, Alba — Picault, Cremaschi, Busquets, D. Ruiz — Messi — Suarez.
Inter Miami subs: Novo, Fray, Falcon, Lujan, Redondo, Segovia, Taylor, Allende, Afonso.
In the offseason, NYCFC sent standout midfielder James Sands on loan to German club St. Pauli, only for him to suffer a long-term ankle injury within the first 6 weeks. They also lost Thiago Andrade to San Diego FC via the expansion draft, sent Talles Magno on loan to Corinthians, and just announced the departure of Santiago Rodriguez to Botafogo an hour before this match kicked off.
They made very few incoming moves, picking up two young collegiate players in the draft plus another homegrown, but it’s tough to know which of them will factor in early on, if any. This is largely the same NYCFC side that ended the 2024 season.
On the injury front, captain Thiago Martins and full-back Tayvon Gray are both unavailable, weakening the back line some.
NYCFC starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Freese (GK) — Ilenic, Risa, Tanasijevic, O’Toole — Haak, Parks — Wolf, Moralez, Ojeda— A. Martinez.
NYCFC subs: (Lineups released one hour prior to kickoff)
Inter Miami vs. NYCFC live stream, TV channel
No matter where in the world you live, the only way to catch every single match of the 2025 MLS season is on MLS Season Pass from Apple TV.
While some games will be shown on TV domestically in the United States, this match was not selected for television coverage.
Apple has done away with the select free-to-air matches that used to be available most matchweeks, instead making some games available to all Apple TV+ subscribers regardless of MLS Season Pass subscription status. This game was selected for Apple TV+ streaming in such a manner.
