Lionel Messi: How to Watch, Stream FC Cincinnati vs. Inter Miami on MLS Season Pass Today

Fresh from winning the Leagues Cup earlier this month, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami are now eyeing up a second piece of silverware as they take on Cincinnati this evening in this US Open Cup semifinal tie.

The knockout tournament remains the oldest still-running annual sports tournament in the United States, having first been contested in 1914, with Orlando City SC last year’s champions.

While Miami have been in unstoppable form of late since the Argentine legend’s arrival, having notched up seven straight wins on their way to winning the Leagues Cup at the weekend, tonight’s match looks set to provide the Messi-powered Herons their toughest test yet.

Cincinnati have been the best team in the MLS this season, currently leading the Supporters’ Shield, and will fancy their chances of booking their place in the final against either Houston Dynamo or Real Salt Lake.

Kickoff for Wednesday’s match is set for 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT) and will stream on CBS Sports Golazo Network. Here’s everything you need to know on how to watch.

Lionel Messi has netted an impressive 10 goals in his first seven appearances for Inter Miami

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Lionel Messi’s next game: Where and when is FC Cincinnati vs. Inter Miami CF?

This US Open Cup fixture is set to take place at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Wednesday, Aug. 23. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. ET, 4 p.m. PT in the US and Canada. That makes it a 12 a.m. BST start in the UK and a 9 a.m. AEST kickoff in Australia on Thursday morning.

How can I watch US Open Cup games?

While Apple TV has a 10-year deal with Major League Soccer to be the exclusive broadcaster of every MLS and Leagues Cup games during the 2023 season, that’s not the case for US Open Cup fixtures.

This match is instead set to be streamed on CBS Sports Golazo Network, the free 24-hour soccer streaming channel that’s available through the CBS Sports App and Pluto TV, as well as on CBSSports.com and Paramount Plus. 

Coverage begins with a one-hour prematch show on CBS Sports Golazo Network at 6 p.m. ET.

Spanish language coverage will also be available via Telemundo and Peacock.

Livestream the FC Cincinnati vs. Inter Miami CF game in the US

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Paramount Plus

Includes CBS Sports Golazo Network and all other CBS content

Paramount Plus has two main subscription plans: Essential for $6 a month ($60 a year if paying annually) and its Paramount Plus with Showtime premium tier for $12 a month ($120 a year if paying annually). 

The cheaper Essential option has ads for on-demand streaming and lacks live CBS broadcasts, as well as the ability to download shows to watch offline later. Students may qualify for a 25% discount.

Read our Paramount Plus review.

$5 at Paramount Plus

Peacock

Watch Spanish Language coverage of the US Open Cup from $2 per month

NBC’s streaming service, Peacock, offers access to Spanish Language coverage of tonight’s game. You’ll need to be signed up with a Peacock Premium or Premium Plus account to stream games live, which costs $6 a month or $60 per year.

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How to watch FC Cincinnati vs. Inter Miami CF online from anywhere using a VPN

If you find yourself in a country where you’re unable to view CBS Sports Golazo Network locally, you may need a different way to watch Messi play — that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to encrypt your traffic to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day, and it’s a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins. 

With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this. 

Using a VPN to watch or stream live sports events is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Australia, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions. 

Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now. 

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ExpressVPN

Best VPN for streaming

ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It’s normally $13 per month, and you can sign up for ExpressVPN and save 49% plus get three months of access for free — the equivalent of $6.67 per month — if you get an annual subscription.

Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

See at ExpressVPN

Quick tips for streaming FC Cincinnati vs. Inter Miami CF using a VPN

• With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming this match live may vary.
• If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
• If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log in to your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs, like Roku, don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
• All the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
• And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log in to your services. We normally recommend Brave.