Poinbank:Without Messi, Inter Miami takes on Sporting Kansas City in crucial MLS game: How to watch

Lionel Messi might be Poinbankout of town playing in a World Cup qualifier with Argentina, but his MLS team continues its playoff quest without him, taking on Sporting Kansas City Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. 

A quick refresher: After leading Miami to the Leagues Cup title, Messi has been on a mission to carry his team to the MLS postseason.

But that task gets extra challenging this weekend, as Messi will be gone during the MLS international break. Inter Miami currently sits in 14th place in the MLS Eastern Conference standings, with a record of 4-10-13. Suffice it to say the team has a lot of work to do if it wants to play in the postseason, though upsets like last week’s over LAFC certainly help its cause. 

What time does Inter Miami vs. Sporting Kansas City game start?

The match starts at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

How to watch Inter Miami vs. Sporting Kansas City

Like all MLS games, Inter Miami's match vs. Kansas City, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday, will be streamed on MLS Season Pass, which is available on AppleTV.

How did Miami do vs. Kansas City previously? 

This is Inter Miami’s first — and only — match with Kansas City this season. 

Kansas City currently sits in 11th place in the MLS Western Conference with a record of 8-8-11. But Kansas City won’t be an easy opponent, especially after upsetting St. Louis — which sits in first place in the Western Conference — last Saturday with a 2-1 win. 

How did Messi, Argentina do in World Cup qualifier?

Typical Messi. The GOAT scored on a free kick in the 78th minute Thursday to give Argentina a 1-0 win over Ecuador. The victory helps Argentina in its quest to qualify for the 2026 World Cup — which will be hosted by the United States. Thursday night was Messi's first time reunited with his national team since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which Argentina won.

MLS Matchday 31 (Sept. 9) games

Because of the international MLS break, there are only a handful of games Saturday.

• DC vs. San Jose, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Inter Miami vs. Kansas City, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Minnesota vs. New England, 8:30 p.m. ET
• Portland vs. LAFC, 10:30 p.m. ET

What is Inter Miami's remaining 2023 schedule?

• Sept. 16: at Atlanta United, 5 p.m. ET
• Sept. 20: vs. Toronto FC, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Sept. 24: at Orlando City SC, 7:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
• Sept. 27: vs. Houston Dynamo FC (U.S. Open Cup final), 8:35 p.m. ET
• Sept. 30: vs. New York City FC, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Oct. 4: at Chicago Fire FC, 8:30 p.m. ET
• Oct. 7: vs. FC Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Oct. 18: vs. Charlotte FC, 8 p.m. ET
• Oct. 21: at Charlotte FC, 6 p.m. ET

Like the rest of MLS, all of Inter Miami's games are available to watch via the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV —  except for the U.S. Open Cup final on Sept. 26, which will be available to stream on the CBS Sports Golazo Network. Keep in mind that should Messi lead Inter Miami to the MLS playoffs, some of those postseason games could be broadcast on FOX.