The matches are coming fast for Inter Miami in the final stretch of the 2025 Major League Soccer regular season.
Just three days after picking up a point in an away 1–1 draw against Toronto FC, the Herons return to action on Tuesday night as they host Chicago Fire in a matchup that is critical for both clubs as the MLS Cup Playoffs approach.
For Miami, anything but a win effectively puts them out of the Supporters’ Shield conversation, while Chicago are still seeking the final postseason berth in the Eastern Conference, and could rise as high as fifth should they win in Fort Lauderdale and pick up another three points on the weekend against Toronto FC.
Here is Sports Illustrated’s guide to the match.
What Time Does Inter Miami vs. Chicago Fire Kick-Off?
- Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Stadium: Chase Stadium
- Date: Tuesday, Sept. 30
- Kick-Off Time: 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT
Inter Miami vs. Chicago Fire Head-to-Head Record
- Inter Miami: 3 wins
- Chicago Fire: 4 wins
- Draws: 2
- Previous meeting: Chicago Fire 0–0 Inter Miami | April 13, 2025 (MLS Regular Season)
Current Form (All Competitions)
How to Watch Inter Miami vs. Chicago Fire on TV
Inter Miami Team News
Inter Miami are in the midst of a busy stretch that, by its end, will have seen them play nine games in 21 days. Despite the heavy schedule, the Herons have continued to rise up the standings, winning three matches in a row before last Saturday’s 1–1 draw against Toronto FC.
Head coach Javier Mascherano has consistently relied on his veteran star players and will likely continue to do so, having stated that it is “mandatory” for the club to pursue the highest possible seed heading into the MLS Cup Playoffs.
While fatigue and injuries will be a concern for aging stars Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba, Luis Suárez and Sergio Busquets, who recently announced his plans to retire, it is also evident that the Herons don’t have many other options.
At the same time, the former FC Barcelona quartet no doubt want as many minutes with each other as possible, as their careers wind down.
For Messi in particular, Tuesday’s match has extra significance. He currently holds the lead in the MLS Golden Boot race by just one goal over LAFC’s Denis Bouanga, who has been in fine form playing alongside summer signing Son Heung-min.
At the same time, the 38-year-old Argentine will look to score his ninth multi-goal game of the season, which would set the MLS record, surpassing Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s 2019 season with the LA Galaxy, as well as Mamadou Diallo in 2000 and Stern John in 1998.
A win could lift Miami to third in the Eastern Conference, while a loss could put their points-per-game ranking outside the top four seeds, which will get home advantage in the first-round best-of-three series.
As for availability, Miami have a relatively clean bill of health, only missing Allen Obando and David Ruiz to injury, and Mateo Silvetti to international duty with Argentina at the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Inter Miami Predicted Lineup vs. Chicago Fire
Inter Miami Predicted Lineup vs. Chicago Fire (4-2-3-1): Ustari; Weigandt, Luján, Falcón, Alba; De Paul, Busquets; Segovia, Messi, Rodríguez; Suarez
Chicago Fire FC Team News
Chicago have pushed some of the best teams in MLS all season, and will look to do so again when they visit Miami on Tuesday.
Coming off a 2–0 win over the Columbus Crew on the weekend, head coach Gregg Berhalter’s side became the likely favorite to host the Eastern Conference Wild Card match. But, should they secure a win in the game-in-hand match against the Herons, they could even dream of skipping the Wild Card round.
The key to Chicago’s success all season has been Hugo Cuypers and Philip Zinckernagel, and the two will likely be relied upon again against Miami. Cuypers scored his 17th goal of the season in the win over Columbus, while Zinckernagel has 10 goals and 14 assists in one of the best offensive seasons in Fire history.
A win would also secure their first MLS Cup Playoff berth since 2017 and officially eliminate the New York Red Bulls, snapping their 15-year run of qualifying for the postseason.
As for injuries, the Fire will miss Chris Mueller due to heart issues and Viktor Radojević due to a muscle injury.
Chicago Fire FC Predicted Lineup vs. Inter Miami
Chicago Fire FC Predicted Lineup vs. Inter Miami (3-4-3): Brady; Waterman, Elliott, Dean; Barroso, Franco, D’Avilla, Gutman; Bamba, Cuypers, Zinckernagel
Inter Miami vs. Chicago Fire Score Prediction
Inter Miami could start to feel the fatigue in this one, and have significantly less to play for compared to the Fire.
The match will likely have goals in it, as neither side have been stellar defensively and with immense attacking talents on both sides. However, given the quick turnaround and the importance of the match for both teams, Chicago might just have the edge.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Inter Miami vs. Chicago Fire: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.
