Inter Miami vs. Orlando City: Three Reasons Why This Match is Crucial for the World Cup
When Inter Miami and Orlando City hit the pitch for the first Florida Derby at Nu Stadium on Saturday, there will be more than bragging rights and a valuable three points in the Eastern Conference on the line.
With the calendar flipping to May, it is officially the final month for players to impress for World Cup roster spots, as each of the 48 competing nations must name their rosters by May 30. There is little potential to make changes thereafter.
Although the race for roster spots spreads across nearly every top division in world soccer, the Florida Derby brings a special spotlight to the World Cup, given Lionel Messi's status, the goalkeepers on show and several others who could suit up for their nations next month.
Here, Sports Illustrated takes a look at three key World Cup storylines in the matchup.
Lionel Messi's Status Remains Unknown
Despite winning the 2025 MLS MVP and Golden Boot, Lionel Messi's status for the 2026 World Cup is still in question.
After winning the 2022 World Cup and capturing a second-career Copa América in 2024, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner may not want to risk stepping away from Argentina with anything but a trophy. At this point, the 38-year-old has the perfect farewell story.
This season, Messi has slowed down in production, as Inter Miami have struggled to find an identity, first under Javier Mascherano's management and now under Guillermo Hoyos. As such, his status for the summer remains undecided, but Argentine manager Lionel Scaloni would welcome him if he wishes to join.
"I will do everything I can to make sure he is there," Scaloni said in a March press conference when asked if Messi will feature at the World Cup. "I believe that he has to be there, for the sake of football, but it's not me who decides. It's up to him how he feels in his mind and his physical condition."
The Battle for Canada's No. 1
The race to start for Canada between the sticks at the first men's World Cup on home soil could come down to Saturday's matchup, as Orlando City backstop Maxime Crépeau stares down his longtime friend and goalkeeping competition, Dayne St. Clair of Inter Miami.
Both got off to rocky starts with their new clubs, but have enjoyed recent improvements. St. Clair's distribution and tight-space shot-stopping have been on full display, with the only goals conceded coming from defensive failures. At the same time, Crépeau recently made five saves in a 1–1 draw with the Columbus Crew.
A very promising performance from Maxime Crépeau on Sunday with this stellar stop among five saves.
- Ben Steiner (@BenSteiner00) April 13, 2026
Orlando City were well outplayed by th Columbus Crew, but the #CanMNT man saved a point for his side.
pic.twitter.com/FGFdbcqtoX
Canada manager Jesse Marsch has long quibbled with the goalkeeping conundrum, starting both regularly since taking over the team in May 2024. Yet, he has previously stated that he will name an outright No. 1 for the World Cup. At its core, Crépeau has often performed better for Canada, while St. Clair offers more mobility and has reached greater heights at the club level.
This weekend will provide the final matchup between the two, before players convene in Charlotte for a pre-World Cup camp ahead of Canada's final two friendlies against Uzbekistan and Ireland. Canada opens World Cup play on June 12 against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto.
Will Rodrigo De Paul and Germán Berterame Maintain Form?
Inter Miami's inconsistent start to the 2026 season has raised doubts about two regular players at the international level.
For Argentina's Rodrigo De Paul, struggling to defend against Red Bull New York last month highlighted the weak points that have been emphasized in his drop in form since joining MLS last summer from Atlético Madrid; meanwhile, Germán Berterame hasn't scored at the same clip that made him a potent attacker for CF Monterrey, where he was a Mexico national team lock.
That form had both of them in doubt for World Cup outings, with Scaloni emphasizing in March that the Argentine team would be "decided based on objective criteria" and include "only players who are ready and in their best form." Since then, De Paul has improved, scoring a goal and three assists in his last four games, while providing slicing passes and key vision to attackers, potentially crawling back into Scaloni's plans.
Berterame seems to be on a similar trajectory. After eight games without a goal to start his Inter Miami career, he now has three goals and two assists across his last five games, potentially regaining Mexico manager Javier Aguirre's trust, despite being left off the initially named roster of 12 players.
After Saturday, Inter Miami will play four more league matches before MLS pauses for the World Cup, while Orlando have five, including a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal against Atlanta United.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Inter Miami vs. Orlando City: Three Reasons Why This Match is Crucial for the World Cup.
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This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 2:30 PM.