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Inter Miami have beaten FC Dallas on penalties after a thrilling 4-4 draw in the Leagues Cup round of 16. Lionel Messi scored twice, including a stunning free kick.

Michael Dominski

Photo: Getty Images

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David Beckham, the interview

Photo: Getty Images

The Athletic's David Ornstein caught up with David Beckham, Inter Miami co-owner and former England captain, to discuss Messi, Miami, Manchester United, the Glazers, women's football, Qatar and, er, a Spice Girls reunion?

Check it out below!

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Messi and Co are in the house

Why Messi’s arrival doesn’t mean guaranteed sellouts at Inter Miami’s stadium

Photo: Getty Images

Ever since Lionel Messi announced his intention to come to MLS, Inter Miami's ticket prices have surged.

In the wake of the increasingly high demand to see Messi play, Felipe Cardenas spoke to a University of Miami economics professor to determine the club's main target audience and to understand why a few empty seats are still expected.

Check out his story below.

Tight security for Messi's first road game

Around 7:10 p.m. local time, Inter Miami and Messi entered the stadium from a tunnel in the northeast corner. Typically teams are dropped off by the National Soccer Hall of Fame, but for security purposes the Inter Miami bus was taken to the other side of the stadium into a remote loading dock. The team had to walk around the entire outside of the field to get to where locker rooms are located. Fans were supposed to be allowed in at 7 p.m., an hour and a half before kick-off, but they were held at the gates until Messi and the team had completed their walk around the perimeter of the field for security purposes.

A statement was put out on the Toyota Stadium Twitter account: "We apologize for the delay guests are experiencing entering Toyota Stadium. Per MLS’ request, we were required to delay opening Toyota Stadium gates until all visiting players had arrived."

The gates ended up opening up around 7:15 p.m.

Will Texas match Miami's star power?

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Lionel Messi's games in Miami have been a hot attraction for celebrities.

LeBron James, Serena Williams, Kim Kardashian, Becky G and David and Victoria Beckham were among the biggest names in attendance at his first game for Inter Miami.

P Diddy, DJ Khaled, Camila Cabello and Rauw Alejandro were all in attendance for his second.

At his third, Derek Jeter and Rick Ross were both on hand, with Jeter enjoying his first ever pro soccer game.

Tonight however sees the Messi show go on the road to Texas. Will we see a new group of famous faces tonight?

Argentina in Texas

(John Muller)

Fans haven’t been let into the stadium yet but the crowds outside are ready for an Argentina match.

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Texas heat

It is incredibly hot here in Frisco. The current temperature is 102 degrees Fahrenheit, with a "real feel" of 105. It is overwhelming when you're in the sun.

That explains the 8:30 p.m. local kickoff time. The sun goes down at 8:22 p.m., and while temperatures will still hover around 100 degrees, it's much more bearable when the sun is down.

Messi certainly hasn't had a break from the heat since arriving with Inter Miami. The games in Miami have been extremely hot and humid, as well.

The Making of Messi: A special audio series by The Athletic

To mark Messi’s move to Miami, we’ve created a special three-part audio series titled ‘The Making of Messi’ telling the journey of how all roads ended up pointing to Florida.

As well as his on-field ups and downs, we chart his complex relationship with his country Argentina and explain the nuances of the unique deal that brought him to Miami — from equity to shirt sales to Saudi Arabia.

It features James Horncastle at his lyrical best, Michael Cox with his unrivalled tactical insight and Felipe Cardenas and Paul Tenorio’s local expertise as we get to the heart of what makes Messi tick on and off the pitch.

You can listen to ‘The Making of Messi’ in its entirety for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts. Just search for that title or The Athletic’s documentary feed ‘Go Deeper’.

The other side of the bracket

(Wikipedia)

Four of the five remaining Liga MX teams are on this side of the bracket.

Inter Miami's side of the bracket

(Wikipedia)

The winner of Inter Miami vs FC Dallas will take on the winner of Houston Dynamo FC vs Charlotte FC in the quarter-finals.

Round of 16 schedule

Tonight:

• FC Dallas vs Inter Miami

Monday:

• Philadelphia Union vs New York Red Bulls
• Queretaro vs New England Revolution
• Charlotte FC vs Houston Dynamo FC

Tuesday:

• Club America vs Nashville SC
• Toluca vs Minnesota United FC
• Tigres UANL vs Monterrey
• LAFC vs Real Salt Lake

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Catch up on Messi in Miami

Photo: Getty Images

Catch up on the Messi Miami Mania with the best of The Athletic's reporting:

What's at stake in the Leagues Cup?

The champion, runner-up and third-place finisher of the Leagues Cup will all qualify automatically for the CONCACAF Champions League. They will also have a chance to earn a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup.

The tournament winner qualifies directly to the CONCACAF Champions League Round of 16, while the runner-up and third-place clubs qualify for the CCL’s first round.

Other than CCL qualification, teams will be motivated by a financial incentive as well. Prize money will be awarded, though how much of it has yet to be publicly confirmed.

When are the knockout rounds?

• Round of 16: Today - Tuesday
• Quarter-finals: August 11 - August 12
• Semi-finals: August 15
• Final and third place play-off: August 19

What else should I know about the Leagues Cup?

Photo: Getty Images

• Just like in the group stage, the winner of a knockout match gets determined by penalty kicks if the score is tied after 90 minutes of regular time.
• VAR will be in operation.
• Yellow cards are cumulative from the group stage up through the current round. That means any player who is sanctioned three times between the group stage and up to the Round of 16 will be suspended for one match. If the player obtains their third yellow card in a Round of 16 game, they would serve their sanction in the quarterfinals. Before starting the quarterfinals, all yellow cards will be reset.

Today's destination 📍

Toyota Stadium

• Location: Frisco, Texas
• Soccer capacity: 19,096
• Year opened: 2005
• Soccer tenants: FC Dallas

FC Dallas’ stadium is unique in MLS for its U-Shaped design, leaving one end of the ground without a stand as it has a permanent covered stage for hosting concerts. This is unpopular with fans, however, and there have been calls for it to be replaced.

The stadium underwent an extensive $55m renovation in 2018, creating a new space for the National Soccer Hall of Fame and a new ‘European-style roof’ built to cover a new stand replacing the old bleachers... although there is still plenty of exposure to the intense Texas sun around the ground, among a number of other modernisations.

Bizarrely the stadium has gained a reputation as something of a bad omen for New England Revolution, who have lost all three of the finals to have taken place here:

• 2005 MLS Cup Final: New England Revolution 0-1 LA Galaxy
• 2006 MLS Cup Final: New England Revolution 1-1 Houston Dynamo (Houston Dynamo win 4-3 on penalties)
• 2016 U.S. Open Cup Final: FC Dallas 4-2 New England Revolution

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Rain is not the only thing falling from the sky

Real Salt Lake’s Leagues Cup initial meeting with Club Leon was postponed due to torrential rain.

But water wasn't the only thing falling from the sky as those in the press box learned when a raccoon crashed through the ceiling at the America First Field.

Fortunately for those of us who weren’t at the game, the entire ordeal was captured on video…

Everything you need to know about the Leagues Cup

The Leagues Cup is a new "World Cup-style" midseason tournament involving all 47 teams from MLS and Liga MX. Here are the key details:

• The tournament began last month and runs to August 19.
• In the first year, all matches will be played throughout the U.S. and Canada. MLS clubs will host their Liga MX counterparts, but if two Mexican teams are pitted against each other in the knockout round, Leagues Cup will determine the venue among a select group of cities.
• We have whittled the field down to 16 teams. The remaining matches are all single-elimination. The knockout bracket is broken up into four regions: West, Central, South and East.

How to watch FC Dallas vs Inter Miami today

No matter where you are in the world, there is only one official streaming option available for today’s game: MLS Pass on Apple TV.

Get in touch in the discussion tab and let us know where in the world you will be watching from.

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