Verified: November 14, 2026 at 2:06:14 PM UTC
Inter Miami CF will host the Columbus Crew on Saturday, November 21, 2026, in Game 1 of their Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs Eastern Conference Round One best-of-three series. Major League Soccer confirms a 6:00 p.m. kickoff in Miami, Eastern Standard Time (EST, UTC−05:00), equivalent to 23:00 UTC, at Nu Stadium. Second-seeded Miami welcomes seventh-seeded Columbus with the defending champions seeking to open their postseason title defense at home. The match will stream on Apple TV.
This is a scheduled matchup, not a completed game: no score, final lineup, or result is available ahead of kickoff. MLS has also set Game 2 for November 27 in Columbus, with a deciding Game 3 in Miami on December 2 only if the clubs split the first two games.
MLS lists the first meeting for Saturday, November 21 at Nu Stadium in Miami, Florida. The confirmed kickoff is 6:00 p.m. EST (UTC−05:00) in Miami, or 23:00 UTC on the same date. The United States will already have switched from daylight saving time to standard time by then, so the appropriate Eastern offset is five hours behind UTC, not four. For viewers on the U.S. West Coast, that is 3:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST, UTC−08:00).
The game marks the first Audi MLS Cup Playoffs match scheduled at Nu Stadium, according to the league announcement. Fans attending should use their match ticket and the home club’s latest stadium instructions to check entry arrangements, access and any last-minute changes. Nothing in the announced schedule alone establishes how early gates will open.
MLS lists Apple TV as the platform for Game 1. Its league-wide playoff announcement says the postseason is available through Apple TV in more than 100 countries and regions without local blackouts. Access terms can differ depending on location and service arrangements, so viewers should confirm the current match listing in Apple TV rather than assume a particular subscription or free-viewing entitlement.
Game 2 is listed on Apple TV as well as FS1, FOX Deportes, TSN and RDS in the respective broadcast markets. Those additional outlets are shown for Game 2 and should not be confused with the separately published Game 1 distribution.
Inter Miami enters the postseason as the East’s No. 2 seed and defending MLS Cup champion. The league says Lionel Messi finished the regular season with 26 goals and 17 assists and won another Golden Boot. Miami’s roster also features prominent names including Rodrigo De Paul, Luis Suárez and Casemiro, although the presence of a player on the roster does not guarantee a starting assignment on November 21.
Columbus arrives as the No. 7 seed after a remarkable late-season push. The club reports that it won eight of its final nine regular-season games and ended with 47 points and a 14-15-5 record. Its Decision Day 4-3 win against Chicago Fire FC helped complete that turnaround. Those results are historical context for the matchup, not a prediction that the Crew will win or score a certain number of goals in Miami.
The contrasting routes to the playoffs make this an unusually compelling opening series. Miami has home-field advantage based on its seeding, while Columbus brings evidence of improved form and attacking production late in the campaign. The outcome will depend on matchday execution, injuries, selection and the details of each game, not merely regular-season seed or reputation.
Round One is played in a home-away-home format, giving the higher seed Games 1 and 3 if a third contest is necessary. The first team to win two games advances. Unlike a traditional two-legged aggregate-score tie, each match produces its own winner: if the score is level after 90 minutes, the teams proceed directly to a penalty shootout without extra time. There are therefore no drawn results in this playoff round.
That structure makes Game 1 valuable but not decisive by itself. A Miami win would put the hosts one victory from advancement; a Columbus win would give the Crew a chance to complete an upset in front of their supporters during Game 2. Neither possibility is a confirmed outcome. Any third game depends entirely on the opening two results.
Some initial announcements from the clubs referred to a potential third match on December 1 or 2. The more specific currently published MLS playoff schedule lists Wednesday, December 2. Fans booking travel should follow later official confirmations, especially because Game 3 is conditional and has no verified start time.
Miami’s ability to convert attacking possession into chances and Columbus’s late-season momentum are two important storylines to watch. Messi’s goal production provides a clear statistical reason for the Crew to pay attention to Miami’s final-third combinations. Conversely, Columbus’s strong stretch run suggests Miami cannot treat the lower seed as an easy opponent. These are matchup considerations rather than definitive tactical claims about formations or players who will start.
With roughly a week remaining before kickoff as of this verification, starting elevens, late fitness updates and other matchday details should be checked against official club and league channels nearer the event. A rumor about an injury or lineup should not be presented as confirmed without a club statement or reliable match report.
For the fixture and any changes to the kickoff or broadcast listing, consult the official MLS Round One schedule. The Inter Miami series announcement and Columbus Crew series announcement provide team-specific context. The home club has announced playoff tickets for sale, but availability and prices are not fixed by that announcement.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. EST (UTC−05:00) in Miami on Saturday, November 21, 2026, corresponding to 23:00 UTC.
No. It is Game 1 of a best-of-three Round One series. The first team to win two matches advances.
The match goes directly to a penalty shootout, with no extra time, to determine the Game 1 winner.
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