Inter Miami will play the Vancouver Whitecaps in the first leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal series Thursday night.

It was the stars and big names of Inter Miami against the blue collar mentality of Vancouver. Miami has Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez. Mascherano himself is a name that still resonates loudly in the football world. The Whitecaps star man? American center forward Brian White, as unheralded a hero as they come.

The 37-year-old Messi, who arrived at Inter Miami in July 2023, will see his current contract expire at the end of this year. The team has been working hard to extend his time in South Florida in an effort to have Messi lead the club into their new stadium, Miami Freedom Park, next season.