Leagues Cup semifinalists target 2024 Champions Cup

MIAMI, Florida – The 2023 Leagues Cup has reached a critical point, as four teams remain in the tournament and the pivotal semifinals scheduled for Tuesday.

The night will start off with 2022 FIFA World Cup winner Lionel Messi and Inter Miami traveling to take on the Philadelphia Union at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania.

Not only will the winner of this match-up advance to Saturday’s Final, but they will have also punched their ticket to the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup. For Inter Miami, it would be their first ever berth in the tournament, while it would be the third for Philadelphia.

Messi has had the Midas touch since joining Inter Miami, as he has scored in all five games with the South Florida squad and leads the Leagues Cup in goals with eight. Inter Miami are coming off a resounding 4-0 win over Charlotte FC in the quarterfinals and are playing their best football of the year.

The Philadelphia Union got a goal in the final seconds of second half stoppage time to down Liga MX side Queretaro 2-1 in the quarterfinals and now will be faced with the task of stopping the Argentina superstar and the rest of an Inter Miami attack that has scored 17 goals in the last five games.

The nightcap will see five-time Concacaf champions Monterrey square off with Nashville SC at GEODIS Park in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Rayados are once again showing their pedigree in big regional tournaments, as they rallied from a late 2-0 second half deficit to defeat Los Angeles FC 3-2 in the quarterfinals, with FW Rogelio Funes Mori tallying the winning goal in the 88^th minute.

As the last remaining Liga MX side alive in the tournament, Monterrey will look to take down another MLS opponent in Nashville SC, who were 5-0 winners against Minnesota United in the quarterfinals.

Nashville got goals from five different players on the night and have already been able to eliminate a past Concacaf champion on home soil when they defeated Club America in a penalty shootout in the Round of 16.

A victory would represent a first ever Champions Cup qualification for Nashville SC. Monterrey are already qualified for the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup, meaning a victory for Rayados on Tuesday would result in Liga MX being awarded with an additional slot to a currently non-qualified team that has the next greatest number of regular season points in the overall season (Apertura and Clausura for Liga MX).