All eyes are on Lionel Messi as Inter Miami travel to Los Angeles to take on LAFC in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals.

LAFC made the Champions Cup finals in 2020 and 2023 and beat the Columbus Crew 4–2 on aggregate in the Round of 16 last month. Denis Bouanga, the MLS Golden Boot winner in 2023 and co-runner-up with Messi and Luis Suarez last season, scored three of L.A.’s four goals against the Crew.

Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano recognized the importance of reaching the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals as a young club, but warned against taking the quarterfinal series against LAFC for granted.