Tickets for Tuesday's Inter Miami vs. Philadelphia sell out in just 8 minutes
MIAMI - Inter Miami is only hours away from facing Philadelphia Tuesday to battle for a spot in the Leagues Cup final.
Argentinian soccer superstar Lionel Messi will lead Inter Miami CF as a visitor at 7 p.m., at Subaru Park Stadium, where tickets for 18,500 people sold out in just eight minutes.
Until Messi's arrival, Inter Miami had gone 11 consecutive games without being able to win. But the Argentine crack changed the panorama.
Messi, 36, joined Miami's Major League Soccer team for a reported $50 million to $60 million per season.
In his first five matches, he assisted on three goals and scored eight of his own.
Philadelphia Union coach Jim Curtin says the team is well aware of Messi's ability.
"We look forward to hosting the greatest player in the history of the sport in our building," Curtin said.
In MLS competition, Inter Miami is in last place in the Eastern Conference, with 18 units.
Philadelphia Union, on the other hand, is a team that is very strong at home.
The Philadelphia Union just defeated Querétaro, from the Mexican league, 2-1 in the quarterfinals.
If Miami wins this duel against Philadelphia, they will have secured a ticket to participate in the Concacaf Champions League and the champion of that tournament will qualify for the Club World Cup, which will be held in 2024 in the US.
The Leagues Cup classifies the first three teams to the CONCACAF competition.
The champion will go directly to the second stage of the contest.