The 2025 Leagues Cup is upon us and Inter Miami will face Atlas in their tournament debut as the rivalry between MLS and Liga MX reignites.
Miami are the second ranked team entering the competition. With Lionel Messi back available, he’ll be aiming to once again win the tournament as he and Miami did during his debut season with the club two years ago.
Javier Mascherano’s side have improved as the year’s gone on, starting the tournament with Messi scoring eight goals in his last five appearances.
Liga MX side Atlas have been a mid-table team in Mexico’s top-flight over the past couple of years. Atlas have a modest roster, but they’re a team that tries to play an attractive brand of soccer. Monterrey got the better of Atlas last time out, but they did managed to draw against Cruz Azul less than two weeks ago.
It’ll be a hard-fought contest between two teams that have never played each other before, with each trying to begin the Leagues Cup with a win.
Here’s everything you need to know about Inter Miami vs. Atlas.
What Time Does Inter Miami vs. Atlas Kick-Off?
- Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Stadium: Chase Stadium
- Date: Wednesday, July 30
- Kick-off Time: 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT
Inter Miami vs. Atlas Head-to-Head Record
This is the first competitive fixture between Inter Miami and Atlas.
Current Form (all competitions)
How to Watch Inter Miami vs. Atlas on TV
Inter Miami Team News
Miami will be back to full strength after settling for a 0–0 draw against FC Cincinnati over the weekend with Messi and Jordi Alba watching from the stands as they served their one match suspension for skipping the MLS All-Star Game.
Messi will return to the lineup in place of Fafa Picault to lead the line alongside Luis Suárez. Alba will occupy his regular place covering the left flank, forcing Mascherano to make a decision on who starts alongside Sergio Busquets in midfield, with Benjamin Cremaschi and Federico Redondo looking like the likely candidates.
New signing Rodrigo De Paul still hasn’t been registered to Miami’s Leagues Cup roster. Although he could be registered at any point during the competition, the former Atlético Madrid midfielder wasn’t spotted in training prior to the match, so it would seem like his Miami debut will have to wait.
Mascherano will likely continue to play essentially the same XI that’s seen Miami surge in the MLS Eastern Conference table over the past month, as they aim to lift their first piece of silverware of the season.
Inter Miami Predicted Lineup vs. Atlas
Inter Miami Predicted Lineup vs. Atlas (4-4-2): Novo; Weigandt, Avilés, Luján, Alba; Allende, Redondo, Busquets, Segovia; Messi, Suárez
Atlas Team News
Atlas have had an up and down start to the Liga MX Apertura 2025 season, winning, drawing and then losing in their first three games of the new campaign.
Former Atlanta United manager Gonzalo Pineda, now in his second season with the club, will try to guide his modest side on a Cinderella run during the Leagues Cup.
Still, Atlas has quality players, especially in attack. Former Olympiacos and Sporting Gijón center forward Uroš Đurđević is coming off sharing the Liga MX golden boot a season ago and has proven to be a menace in front of goal.
Eduardo Aguirre and Diego González flank the Montenegro international and are more than capable complementary pieces. Behind them, new signing Alfonso González could get his first start for Atlas since returning to the club where he began his career.
Colombia national team goalkeeper Camilo Vargas returned from injury last weekend and he’ll need to be at his best to contain Messi and co.
Atlas Predicted Lineup vs. Inter Miami
Atlas Predicted Lineup vs. Inter Miami (3-4-3): Vargas; Ríos, Aguirre, Doria; Ferrareis, Rocha, González, Lozano; González, Aguirre, Đurđević
Inter Miami vs. Atlas Score Prediction
Inter Miami’s recent form with Messi on the pitch points to them being the favorites to win the clash.
Atlas are a team of moments, capable of dominating, but also prone to mistakes. Miami’s quality front line will be too much to handle for an Atlas defense that’s conceded eight goals in their first three games this season.
The Herons will begin the Leagues Cup with a victory as they look to reclaim the throne they conquered in 2023.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Inter Miami vs Atlas: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.
