Lionel Messi and Inter Miami face a new challenge this Wednesday as they face off against FC Cincinnati for a spot in the US Open Cup finals. The Argentine has so far only played in the Leagues Cup, which is an international competition, so this will be the first time he takes part in a United States local tournament. 

The oldest competition in US football, the US Open Cup is a national cup similar to Spain’s Copa del Rey or England’s FA Cup. Both professional and amateur clubs, such as those playing in Division II leagues like the USLC, are allowed to compete. It’s played alongside the MLS season.

Each round is a single match, direct elimination series, where clubs are split according to their location. MLS sides entering in the third or fourth rounds depending on previous performance. In the case of a tie after the 90 minutes of regulation time, games go to extra time and then penalty shootout if the tie persists.

Inter Miami started its play in the third round, where they beat USLC’s Miami FC in a penalty shootout after finishing 2-2. In their next match, the Herons beat USLC’s Charleston Battery 1-0. They defeated Leagues Cup final rivals SC Nashville 2-1 in the round of 32, and Birmingham Legion FC 1-0 in the quarterfinals.

With only a short time to recover after the Leagues Cup final, there were some doubts  whether Messi would play, but Inter Miami coach Gerardo Martino confirmed he would be on the field. “Leo has played all the games and maybe at some point he wants to rest, but it won’t be Wednesday. He’s going to start the game. Until he tells me otherwise, he’s going to play,” he explained.

However, Martino will be looking to bring on two of Inter Miami’s latest additions, Argentine youngsters Tomás Avilés and Facundo Farías, to rest other players.

As with every game the Argentina star has played in the United States so far, his appearance is expected to attract plenty of fans. “Messi’s presence will create a unique atmosphere at TQL Stadium but we hope the fans don’t change the jersey they wear. Our fans have been fantastic and I don’t expect anything different,” said Cincinnati coach Pat Noonan.

On paper at least, the clash pits two very uneven teams: while Cincinnati leads the MLS Eastern Conference standings, Inter Miami sits at the bottom.

For the first time since Messi arrived at Inter Miami, the match will be broadcast on Argentine cable TV. So far, all games have been on streaming service Apple TV, which requires a subscription. However, the clash between the Herons and Cincinnati will be on sports network TyC Sports. The game will be played at 7:00 p.m. local, 8:00 p.m. Argentina time.