(Photo credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

It could be a historic night for Charlotte FC when they host Lionel Messi and Inter Miami on Saturday night in a match with major playoff implications.

Charlotte (16-11-2, 50 points) has soared into third place in the Eastern Conference while on an eight-match winning streak, and can clinch a postseason berth with a victory as long as the New York Red Bulls do not earn a win over the Portland Timbers.

A ninth consecutive victory would tie the all-time MLS record, not counting the shootout era from 1996-99.

Inter Miami (13-5-7, 46 points) are coming off a tumultuous 3-0 loss to Seattle on Aug. 31 in the Leagues Cup final. That match ended with an ugly postgame scuffle, which led to the suspension of forward Luis Suarez for six 2026 Leagues Cup games and the club's next three MLS matches.

Miami resides in sixth place in the East but has three games more to play than fifth-place Orlando City and four more than the top four teams including Charlotte, still giving the club the opportunity to ascend to the top of the conference by regular season's end.

That effort must begin against Charlotte before what's expected to be a hostile sold-out crowd of 35,000.

'We've got an important run of games where we're fighting for the MLS, which is an objective, and I hope to be at my best,' Messi told reporters after playing in Argentina's recent World Cup qualifier last week.

Charlotte will be without head coach Dean Smith on the sideline. Associate head coach Miles Joseph will lead the team as Smith serves a one-game suspension for yellow-card accumulation.

Charlotte's Pep Biel (10 goals), and the improved play of goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina, have been major factors in the club's surge in recent weeks and a reason for optimism despite Smith's impending absence.

'We certainly could go and compete for a championship,' Smith said. 'Whoever we come up against, we would fancy ourselves. We've beaten most teams this season already. So I don't see any reason why, if our run of form continues, why we couldn't.'

--Field Level Media