Lionel Messi will be on the field for Inter Miami's biggest game of the season so far. The captain is eligible to face the New England Revolution on Sunday even though he picked up his fifth yellow card on Wednesday.

Messi was booked in the 44th minute of Miami's 2-2 draw with FC Cincinnati. Five yellow cards would normally mean a one-game ban.

But MLS has a good behavior rule. A player gets one yellow card taken off his total each time he plays five straight games without a card. Messi earned that break earlier this season, so the latest yellow does not count toward a suspension.

A lot on the line

Inter Miami sits third in the Eastern Conference, just two points behind New England. Both teams are already in the playoffs.

The bigger prize is a spot in next year's Concacaf Champions Cup. Nashville already won the Supporters' Shield, so second place in the East gets an automatic spot. Sunday's game is the second-to-last of the regular season.

No room for error

Coach Cristian González said his team cannot afford another slip. "We no longer have any margin for error," he said after the Cincinnati draw.

He wants his players to be bold. With Messi available, Miami will have its best player ready for a game that could decide its season.