COLUMBUS, Ohio — It’s a debut that has been months in the making but has twice been delayed.
But on Wednesday night at Lower.com Field in Columbus, the player considered by many to be the greatest of his generation gets his first crack at a burgeoning juggernaut.
On paper, it’s just a Wednesday night regular season match in Major League Soccer between Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and the Columbus Crew. But in some ways, it means much, much more.
It’s a matchup featuring arguably the best soccer player of the 2000s against a team with a resume as good as any in North America lately. The Crew have won four major trophies in the 2020s, including two MLS Cups, the 2021 Campeones Cup and the 2024 Leagues Cup.
Wednesday’s match, however, won’t be Messi’s first in the state of Ohio. His Inter Miami team played at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati last season in a U.S. Open Cup semifinal match vs. FC Cincinnati. Inter Miami won in penalties, 3-3 (5-4).
This will be Messi’s first Ohio match in MLS play, and the stakes could not be higher for both squads.
The Crew sit in second place in the Eastern Conference, eight points behind Inter Miami, but with a match in hand. They have three matches left this season after Wednesday, while Inter Miami has just two.
So any hopes of the Crew staying alive in the race for the Supporters’ Shield, given to the best regular season team in MLS, along with home field throughout the playoffs, start with defeating Messi and Miami Wednesday night.
However, an Inter Miami win clinches the Supporters’ Shield.
The two clubs have played twice this season: once in the regular season in Miami and once in the Leagues Cup in Columbus. The home team won both matches, but Messi did not play either match due to an ankle injury he suffered in Copa America 2024 playing for Argentina.
His injury also kept him out of the 2024 MLS All-Star Game in July, which was also played in Columbus.
Even at 36, Messi has still been very good in MLS with 15 goals and 11 assists in 16 matches. He scored his 15th of the season on Saturday in a 1-1 draw at home vs. Charlotte FC.
Inter Miami is 9-1-6 in the 16 MLS matches Messi has played this season and 10-4-2 when he’s out of the lineup. Part of why Inter Miami has been successful despite Messi being in and out of the lineup is that he brought several of his old teammates from Barcelona with him in Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
But what awaits Messi and company on Wednesday night is the reigning MLS Cup champions and one of the best home-field advantages in North American soccer.
How to watch for free on FS1 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern: Fubo (free trial), DirecTV Stream (free trial). Also, Sling has promotional offers) and MLS Season Pass.
The Crew have lost just two home matches since May, both in controversial fashion.
They suffered a 4-0 loss to the Seattle Sounders on Sept. 7, but it was a game where their top two goalkeepers were on international duty and their third-string keeper was sent off in the 38th minute. It forced midfielder and Olmsted Falls native Sean Zawadzki into goal with his team down a man for the final 52 minutes of regulation. The team was not allowed to bring in a fourth goalkeeper, leaving manager Wilfried Nancy to rip the decision after the match to not allow the Crew to add an emergency goalkeeper.
On Sept. 25, the Crew lost the Campeones Cup to Mexico side Club America, 1-1 (5-4 on penalties). But that match had its own controversial moment. The Crew’s Malte Amundsen missed off the crossbar in the sixth round of the penalty shootout. However, Club America goalkeeper Luis Malagon was off his line prior to Amundsen’s kick.
VAR was not used, and Club America won the match on the next penalty, denying the Crew a fifth trophy in the 2020s.
Lately, Columbus has been a fortress where few teams have success. Inter Miami felt that earlier this season in the Leagues Cup Round of 16 on Aug. 13 when it blew a 2-0 lead in the final 23 minutes. The Crew won, 3-2, on its way to winning the Leagues Cup.
Columbus also has its own firepower to counter what Messi brings.
Cucho Hernandez is among the league’s most dynamic offensive threats, with 16 goals and 13 assists in 24 matches, earning him serious consideration to be league MVP.
They also boast the league’s best defense, allowing just 31 goals in 30 matches. Only three other clubs have allowed fewer than 40 goals.
It’s very possible Wednesday night is a preview of the Eastern Conference Final. Inter Miami and Columbus are the two best teams in points per match and they’ve already played two thrilling matches.
But with Messi being available Wednesday night, the dynamic changes entirely.
It’s the face of Major League Soccer vs. the most successful team of the 2020s.
While the nature of soccer never guarantees that there will be a winner, this is the kind of matchup that MLS hoped it could have when Messi came to Miami.
Something will have to give between the world-famous superstar and the dynamic team, even if the two sides split the points.
If nothing else, it’s a chance for the two sides to send a message for what December and the MLS playoffs may bring.
Match facts
Who: Inter Miami (19-4-8, 65 points) at Columbus Crew (16-5-9, 57 points).
When: Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024.
Time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern.
Where: Lower.com Field, Columbus.
TV: FS1.
Best live streaming options: Fubo (free trial), DirecTV Stream (free trial), Sling (promotional offers) and MLS Season Pass.
