You won't be seeing a whole lot of Messi, U.S. Open Cup fans.
Inter Miami is almost confirmed to be one of 11 MLS teams not participating in the 2025 U.S. Open Cup, as the tournament will only feature 16 MLS clubs, Inter Miami insider reporter José Armando reports.
Inter Miami OUT of U.S. Open Cup in 2025; will play Concacaf Champions Cup
The teams participating in the domestic cup competition will automatically be placed into the Round of 32, which is reportedly set to take place on May 6-7.
Open Cup tendrá 16 equipos de MLS en su edición 2025.
Inter Miami no sería uno de esos equipos.Los equipo de MLS entran en competencia en dieciseisavos de final a disputarse entre el 6 y 7 de mayo.#InterMiamiCF
— José Armando (@Jarm21) January 26, 2025
For Inter Miami, their back-to-back season absence Open Cup comes as a result of their focus on the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup, a tournament they secured a spot in after winning the 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield with a record-breaking regular season performance.
Los Angeles FC and Colorado Rapids (Leagues Cup finish), FC Cincinnati, Real Salt Lake and Seattle Sounders (Supporters' Shield standings) and Sporting Kansas City (U.S. Open Cup runner-up) will also be participating in the international tournament.
In 2023, Inter Miami made it all the way to the U.S. Open Cup final but fell short, losing to the Houston Dynamo. The match, which was expected to be Lionel Messi's second final with the Fort Lauderdale club just months after arriving to MLS, saw the Argentine miss out on the match due to injury.
