Inter Miami clinches Leagues Cup Round of 32 spot before facing Tigres in Houston

Defending champion Inter Miami advanced to the Leagues Cup Round of 32 and secured home field advantage before playing its second group stage game Saturday in Houston against Mexican powerhouse Tigres.

A 2-1 win by Tigres over 10-man Puebla in Houston Wednesday night clinched knockout round berths for Tigres and Inter Miami, which had beaten Puebla 2-0 last Saturday. The top two teams in each three-team group advance in the tournament, which features all teams from MLS and Liga MX.

Miami will play either Toronto FC or Mexican team Pachuca on Aug. 8 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Inter Miami was guaranteed the home field regardless of the result of the Saturday game against Tigres because it is seeded higher than Toronto based on last year’s tournament results, and all the games are played on U.S. soil.

With Tigres and Inter Miami already in the Round of 32, and Miami having the home field locked up, the only thing at stake in Saturday’s game in Houston (8 p.m., Apple TV) is seeding for the next round.

Lionel Messi is out indefinitely with a right ankle injury and remained in a protective walking boot as he watched last Saturday’s game from a suite. He is unlikely to be ready to play this weekend, but the team has been winning without him. Inter Miami is 7-1 without Messi since June 1 and in first place in the MLS standings with nine games remaining in the regular season. MLS is on a month-long break during Leagues Cup and resumes play Aug. 24.

Ticket information Inter Miami Leagues Cup

Inter Miami season ticket holders will receive first right of refusal for Round of 32 tickets starting Aug. 2 at 8 a.m. General public tickets will go on sale later that day at 3 p.m.

Other teams that have clinched Round of 32 spots are D.C. United, Austin FC, Juarez and St. Louis City.