Inter Miami and Seattle Sounders play the Leagues Cup final – NBC 6 South Florida

With an eye on a new title, Inter Miami will take to the field at Lumen Field this Sunday to face the Seattle Sounders as the away team.

Inter Miami CF, once again relying on Lionel Messi, secured a place in the final of the 2025 Leagues Cup with an exciting comeback to win 3-1 against Orlando City, thanks to goals from the Argentine star and Venezuelan Telasco Segovia.

Seattle Sounders, on the other hand, reached the final thanks to their 2-0 victory against Los Angeles Galaxy.

Inter Miami CF is seeking its second Leagues Cup title after securing the trophy in the 2023 edition, while Seattle reached a final in the tournament’s previous format in 2021, which they lost to León.

WHERE AND WHEN IS THE GAME

Stadium: Lumen Field in Seattle, with a capacity for 72,000 spectators

Date and time: Sunday, August 31, 8:00 pm (Miami time)

WHAT IS THE LEAGUES CUP?

The Leagues Cup is a tournament that includes teams from the MLS and Mexico’s Liga MX. It has been played in different formats, but in 2023 the tournament was relaunched with some changes.

In 2025, the Leagues Cup introduced a new format, with 36 clubs from both leagues: 18 teams from LIGA MX and 18 qualified teams from MLS (the top 9 from each conference).

The first round was played with three matches per team divided into two groups. The top 4 from each group advanced to the knockout rounds, which began with the quarterfinals.

WHAT DOES THE WINNER GET?

The Leagues Cup not only determines the tournament champion, in which Mexican league teams also participate, but also grants a direct spot in the round of 16 of the Concacaf Champions Cup.

The runner-up and the winner of the third-place game qualify for the first round of the Concacaf Champions Cup.

Additionally, as in practically every international competition, there is a monetary prize, the amount of which for this edition has not been made public.

HOW INTER MIAMI REACHED THE FINAL

The team coached by Javier Mascherano had nothing to spare during the tournament, with very close games that were decided in the final minutes.

In their first match, they faced Mexican team Atlas, defeating them at home 2-1. Then they played against Necaxa, drawing 2-2 in regular time and winning 5-4 on penalties.

Their third match was against Pumas UNAM, which they dominated 3-1, granting them a spot in the quarterfinals. In that stage, they faced Tigres UANL, defeating them 2-1 in another close match, and in the semifinal, they triumphed against Orlando.

THE INFLUENCE OF MESSI

Lionel Messi has been experiencing some muscle problems that caused him to miss games and minutes on the field, but his mere presence on the pitch can change the dynamics of any match, as happened in the semifinal, where he scored two goals that paved the way for the team’s victory. There is no doubt that his presence remains an advantage against any opponent.

But Messi is not alone. In the midfield is his national team colleague Rodrigo De Paul and Spaniard Sergio Busquets, along with Venezuelan Telasco Segovia, who has been important in this cup, scoring three times, as well as Uruguayan forward Luis Suárez, who, although far from his former level, is dangerous against any defense. Further back, on the left wing, Jordi Alba is a weapon for offensive runs and defensive work.

HOW SEATTLE SOUNDERS REACHED THE FINAL

Seattle reaches the title match after a very solid first round, with a 7-0 thrashing of Cruz Azul, followed by 2-1 victories against Santos Laguna and Tijuana, up to their quarterfinal match, the toughest so far, with a goalless draw against Puebla that ended in a penalty shootout win (4-3).

Against Los Angeles Galaxy in the semifinals, they scored their first goal quickly and then secured the win in the first 12 minutes of the second half. It was a hard-fought 2-0 victory, but one in which they showed more offensive power than their opponent.

Among their key players, Seattle has midfielder Cristian Roldán and Slovak forward Albert Rusnak, the team’s top scorer. Additionally, under the guidance of American Brian Schmetzer, they have shown themselves in this tournament to be an organized team with a strong offense.

WHERE TO BUY TICKETS

Tickets for the final will be available on LeaguesCup.com and through the website of the final’s host club, the Seattle Sounders. In any case, the platform used is Ticketmaster.