MLS schedule Wednesday, July 22: Will Lewandowski debut? Is Messi available?

Major League Soccer returned from a six-week break for the 2026 World Cup with a soft relaunch of sorts, with six scheduled games (five of which were played due to one postponement) on July 16-17.

On Wednesday, July 22, the league boasts a full, 15-match slate. And, there will be another 15-match slate for Saturday, July 25 before the league hosts its All-Star Game on Wednesday, July 29 as the MLS team will face Mexico's Liga MX All-Star squad.

For now, we take a look at Wednesday's slate, which features Inter Miami hosting the Chicago Fire. Could that be the MLS debut of Robert Lewandowski? Will Lionel Messi be available for Inter Miami? Let's take a look:

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MLS games for Wednesday, July 22

(All games available on Apple TV)

• FC Cincinnati vs. Vancouver Whitecaps, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Columbus Crew vs. New York City FC, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Inter Miami vs. Chicago Fire, 7:30 p.m. ET
• New England Revolution vs. Toronto FC, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Philadelphia Union vs. Red Bull New York, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Charlotte FC vs. Atlanta United, 8:15 p.m. ET (FS1)
• Houston Dynamo vs. D.C. United, 8:30 p.m. ET
• Sporting Kansas City vs. Minnesota United, 8:30 p.m. ET
• Nashville SC vs. CF Montréal, 8:30 p.m. ET
• Austin FC vs. Seattle Sounders, 8:30 p.m. ET
• Colorado Rapids vs. San Diego FC, 9:30 p.m. ET
• LA Galaxy vs. St. Louis City SC, 10:30 p.m. ET
• Los Angeles FC vs. Real Salt Lake, 10:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
• Portland Timbers vs. FC Dallas, 10:30 p.m. ET
• San Jose Earthquakes vs. Orlando City, 10:30 p.m. ET

Watch MLS games on Apple TV

MLS game of the day: Inter Miami vs. Chicago Fire

• Date and time: Wednesday, July 22, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Streaming: Apple TV
• Location: Nu Stadium, Miami

Robert Lewandowski's MLS debut might have been pushed back as the Chicago Fire's match against Vancouver for July 16 was postponed to Oct. 6. Instead, he's set for his Fire premiere Wednesday night against Inter Miami in a showdown of the second- and third-place teams in the Eastern Conference.

However, the star power of this one won't be quite as impressive as it could have been. Inter Miami's main draw, Lionel Messi, won't be available after competing in the 2026 World Cup final. Neither will his club and Argentine teammate Rodrigo De Paul, who also played in the loss against Spain on Sunday, July 19. Hugo Cuypers, who is the current leader in MLS's Golden Boot race with 13 goals, was transferred by Chicago to Liga MX's CF Monterrey.

Still, a road fixture against the defending league champions — albeit a depleted one — is a big moment for coach Gregg Berhalter and his Fire, which ended a seven-season playoff drought last season and is among the top contenders in 2026.

MLS betting odds: Who is favorite to win 2026 championship?

According to the latest BetMGM odds, Inter Miami (+350) is the current favorite to win the 2026 league championship, followed by the Vancouver Whitecaps (+650), Los Angeles FC (+800), Nashville SC (+800) and FC Cincinnati (+1400).

MLS 2026 season key dates

• July 29: MLS All-Star Game, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C. (rosters)
• Aug. 4-Sept. 6: Leagues Cup
• Sept. 16: Campeones Cup: Inter Miami vs. winner of July 25 match between Toluca FC (2025 LIGA MX Apertura champion) and Cruz Azul (2026 LIGA MX Clausura champion), Nu Stadium, Miami
• Oct. 21: Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final
• Nov. 7: Final day of regular season (MLS Decision Day)
• Nov. 18-Dec. 12: MLS playoffs
• Dec. 18: 2026 MLS Cup

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLS schedule Wednesday, July 22: Will Lewandowski debut? Is Messi available?