Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will headline the start of the Major League Soccer playoffs, beginning their first round of the best-of-three series on October 25.

Recently crowned Supporters’ Shield champions, Miami is the top seed in the Eastern Conference and has secured home advantage. They will face the winner of the Eastern Conference wild card game played three days earlier.

This will be Messi’s first appearance in the MLS postseason and the first time he will take part in a playoff-like format of this type. Last season, Miami failed to qualify for the postseason after Messi arrived earlier this summer. They will enter the 2024 playoffs as overwhelming favorites and win the club’s first MLS Cup.

MLS plans to capture the moment by broadcasting Messi’s first playoff game live on screens in New York’s Time Square. According to the league’s announcement, the screen to be used spans an entire city block on Broadway between 45th and 46th Streets.

Messi scored twice in Miami’s win over the Crew on Wednesday night (Photo: Jason Mowry/Getty Images)

The regular season ends Oct. 19 and Miami is still on track to break the league’s points record of 73 set by the New England Revolution in 2021. After Miami’s 3-2 victory over reigning MLS Cup champions Columbus Crew on Wednesday night, Miami was the best team of the MLS regular season. The Supporters’ Shield trophy is awarded annually to the team with the most points in the regular season. Messi told Apple TV that winning the MLS Cup remains the club’s main focus.

“The points record is a secondary goal,” he said. “In that sense, we have a chance to make history, but we have to focus on the three-game series. Then it’s single elimination and anything can happen. We will have an advantage because we play our (playoff) games at home. It’s not easy playing away in MLS, but we have a (home) advantage… We’re strong at home and now we have to show it.”

The opening game of the playoffs in Miami will be broadcast for free on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. The full round of the MLS Cup Playoffs will be announced on October 19, the final day of the MLS regular season.

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(Top photo: Jason Mowry/Getty Images)