Inter Miami, a Major League Soccer (MLS) team from the United States, is preparing for its playoff debut. It will be a single-elimination match, where the last qualified teams will compete to advance to the next stage.
The first round of the playoffs will take place from October 26 to November 10, where the eight teams qualified by conference will face off in a best-of-three series. This is the first time Argentine star Lionel Messi participates in the North American league playoffs, as his team did not qualify last season.
Inter Miami, with Messi on its roster, entered the playoffs directly, beginning its participation in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals on Friday, October 25, against Atlanta United.
As for the playoff format, teams such as Columbus Crew will face New York Red Bulls, Cincinnati will play against New York City, and Orlando City will compete against Charlotte in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, in the Western Conference, the matchups will include teams like Los Angeles FC against Vancouver Whitecaps, Los Angeles Galaxy against Colorado Rapids, Real Salt Lake against Minnesota United, and Seattle Sounders against Houston Dynamo.
The playoff schedule includes the Wild Card Round on October 23, the Best of 3 First Round from October 26 to November 10, the Conference Semifinals and Finals in late November and early December, respectively, and the MLS Cup on December 7.
The highest-seeded team will play the first match at home, the second at the opponent's lower-seeded field, and, if necessary, a third match will again be played at the home of the higher-seeded team.
Highlighting Inter Miami's successful season, led by Tata Martino, which finished at the top of the Eastern Conference and won the Supporters' Shield. Lionel Messi and his team are preparing to face this exciting challenge in the MLS.
