Led by the star Lionel Messi, Inter Miami conquered their first title in their history on Saturday by defeating Nashville SC 10-9 in penalties (1-1 in regulation time) in the final of the Leagues Cup.
WHAT TIME DOES INTER MIAMI VS NASHVILLE PLAY
Inter Miami plays against Nashville in the grand final of the Leagues Cup at 8:00 p.m. in Peru. Here are the world time schedules so you don't miss any detail.
19:00 hours - Mexico
20:00 hours - Peru, Ecuador, Colombia
21:00 hours - Venezuela, Bolivia, United States (Miami)
22:00 hours - Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay
03:00 hours on Wednesday - Spain, Germany, Italy, France
With Lionel Messi's ninth goal, Inter Miami defeated Philadelphia Union 4-1 on Tuesday and qualified for the final of the Leagues Cup, the first in the history of the franchise, where Nashville SC awaits them.
Messi scored an impressive goal in the 20th minute, solidifying himself as the top scorer in this joint tournament between MLS and the Mexican league. The other goals were scored by Venezuelan Josef Martínez, American-Honduran David Ruiz, and Spanish Jordi Alba, who scored his first goal with Inter.
Just 29 days after his debut in Miami, Messi will play his first final in the United States at the Nasvhille SC stadium, which on Tuesday beat Mexican team Monterrey 2-0 in the other semifinal.
"We worked to reach the final and we did it!!! We still have one last step... @leaguescup," Messi celebrated in a post on his Instagram account.
The Argentine star, 36, has the opportunity to win his 44th title and break the tie he currently holds with Brazilian Dani Alves to become the most decorated footballer in history.
With a display of efficiency against Union, the reigning MLS runner-up, Inter also secured its presence in the Concacaf Champions League, the pathway to the FIFA Club World Cup.
"The most important thing today is qualifying for the Concachampions," emphasized Gerardo Martino, Inter's coach, before praising Messi's effort and leadership on the field.
The Argentine, winner of seven Ballon d'Or awards, has completely transformed a franchise with mediocre results in its three years of existence in MLS, where it is currently the last-place team.
After Messi's arrival, Inter has won six consecutive games, scoring 21 goals, and is the favorite to win the Leagues Cup, a tournament that brought together, for the first time, the 47 teams from MLS and the Mexican league.
Inter stormed the Subaru Park, where Union had been undefeated in 15 matches, with a display of efficiency by converting their four shots on goal.
Miami once again opened the scoring very early with a pass from Ukrainian Sergii Kryvtsov to Josef Martínez, who shot across the goal, out of the reach of goalkeeper Andre Blake in the 3rd minute.
"We are disappointed with how the match started, that first goal was avoidable," lamented Jim Curtin, Union's coach.
Curtin, who had set up a cautious formation with three center-backs, pushed his lines forward to support an attack that missed its top scorer, Argentine Julián Carranza, who was out due to injury.