Inter Miami CF earned a 3-1 win over Sporting Kansas City on Tuesday night in the second leg of the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup Round One matchup between the sides to win the series 4-1 on aggregate and advance to the Round of 16 of the competition. A fantastic volley from captain Lionel Messi, attacker Tadeo Allende’s first official Inter Miami goal, and a strike from star forward Luis Suárez led the team to the valuable win at Chase Stadium on the night.
Lineup Notes
Inter Miami took the pitch for the thrilling second leg encounter with Óscar Ustari in goal; Ian Fray, Maximiliano Falcón, Tomás Avilés and Jordi Alba made up a back line of four; Federico Redondo, Sergio Busquets and Telasco Segovia started in midfield; captain Messi, Suárez and Allende led the team in attack.
Notably, Falcón made his official Inter Miami debut as part of the starting XI tonight.
Match Action
Inter Miami kicked off the match and found the opener early on, with Messi scoring in the 19th minute. A quick play on the counter concluded with Suárez receiving the ball on the left wing, who then served a precise cross for Messi on the edge of the box. The Argentine legend brought the ball down with his chest before unleashing a powerful left-footed volley to the near post. The goal was Messi’s second this Champions Cup campaign, while the assist was the first for Suárez.
Then, as the match approached the half, Inter Miami extended its lead through attacker Allende in the first minute of added time. Another quick play down the left flank saw Alba receive the ball before entering the box and serving a grounded ball for Allende to finish from close range. The goal was Allende’s first official goal since signing for the Club, while the assist was Alba’s first this 2025 season.
Shortly after, in the third minute of added time, Suárez struck to extend the team’s lead even further. The Uruguayan striker took advantage of a loose ball inside the box, bodying his defender before sending the ball to the back of the net with a right-footed finish to record his first goal of the 2025 season.
Sporting Kansas City shortened the deficit in the 63rd minute with a goal from Memo Rodríguez.
The 3-1 scoreline then remained unchanged until the final whistle for Inter Miami to win the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup Round One series 4-1 on aggregate and advance to the Round of 16. The Club will now take on 2024 Concacaf Caribbean Cup champion Cavalier FC in the Round of 16, with the first leg set for Thursday, March 6 at Chase Stadium. The second leg will subsequently be played at the Stadium East Field in Kingston, Jamaica on Thursday, March 13.
Post-Match Reaction
"What excites me about this team is how it competes. It played with 10 players for 80 minutes, and today, after 72 hours, it competed again, doing so in the best way possible—that's what we need. In the end, it's about being together and united. Everyone who gets a chance has to give their best. To compete in all the tournaments we're in, we’re going to need everyone, and we need everyone to be at their best." said head coach Javier Mascherano.
Concacaf Champions Cup Trophy and FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ Trophy at NW Club
On Tuesday, there were a pair of special guests in attendance as the Concacaf Champions Cup trophy and FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ trophy were present at Chase Stadium’s Northwest Club. All ticketed fans had the special opportunity to stop by to see the trophies up close and take some memorable photos.
Next Match
Next, Inter Miami will hit the road for its first away game of the 2025 MLS regular season this Sunday, March 2 when the team visits Houston Dynamo at Shell Energy Stadium.
Stats:
Possession:
MIA - 50.4%
SKC - 49.6%
Shots:
MIA - 6
SKC - 10
Saves:
MIA - 2
SKC - 1
Corners:
MIA- 5
SKC - 7
Fouls:
MIA - 12
SKC - 17
