This Friday the 25th (tomorrow) starting at 9:30 p.m. the Playoffs of the MLS 2024. The Inter Miami will face the Atlanta United as a local for the first commitment in a series of three. Looking ahead to the meeting Tata Martino spoke to the media.
At one point he was consulted about the ceremony of the Ballon d’Or 2024 to take place on Monday, October 28. But Tata was forceful: “I was never clear if the award was for the best player in the world or the best player of the year. Vinicius probably has the merits to win the Ballon d’Or. If you ask me who is the best in the world today, I’m going to say Leo Messi. still the best.”.
On the other hand, he also spoke precisely about Messi’s condition: “He had a normal week, working well. He is preparing like the rest to play these finals”. As an extra fact, almost the entire Inter squad is available. Outside of the seriously injured like Facundo Farías and Nicolás Freire, the only ones ruled out are David Ruíz and Oscar Ustari.
The MLS Playoffs
As previously shared, Inter Miami’s first challenge will take place on Friday the 25th starting at 9:30 p.m. in Florida. The second match will take place in Atlanta on Saturday, November 2. While the last one once again in Miami on Saturday the 9th.
It is worth clarifying once again that if Inter takes the victory in the first two duels, the third will not have to compete.. In case of a tie there will be penalties in each duel. While from the semifinals onwards the series will be a single match.
The First Round will take place from Saturday, November 26th to Sunday, November 10th. Later Messi will play again with the Scaloneta on Thursday the 14th against Paraguay and on Tuesday the 19th against Peru. Then he will return to Florida. The semifinals will take place on Saturday, November 23 and Sunday, November 24.
On Saturday, December 30 and Sunday, December 1, the conference finals. While the MLS grand final will take place on Saturday, December 7. It would be Messi’s last duel of the year. As an extra piece of information, the Tata Martino team earned the right to be home in most of the matches by having won the Supporters’ Shield.