Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami coming to Dallas for January friendly – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

FC Dallas announced Friday it will host Inter Miami CF in a pre-season friendly at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas’ Fair Park later this month.

The match will be held on Monday, Jan. 22 at 5 p.m. The game will be the first time FC Dallas has returned to the pitch at their original home since 2009.

The friendly will be the first preseason match of the 2024 campaign for FC Dallas, and the second all-time preseason meeting between Dallas and IMCF.

“We’re looking forward to playing in the Cotton Bowl and welcoming Inter Miami CF to the iconic stadium that served as our franchise’s original home,” said FC Dallas President Dan Hunt. “This is a great way to kick off 2024 and get the DFW market excited about our players and the upcoming MLS season.”

Superstar Lionel Messi was in Frisco last August with Inter Miami trailing 4-3 in Leagues Cup action against FC Dallas when he stepped up to take a free kick in the 85th minute. And just like he did against Cruz Azul in his debut, he scored. This time, though, it was on the road in Toyota Stadium.

Last month Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez signed with Inter Miami and reunited with his former Barcelona teammate. Suárez and Messi spent six seasons together in Spain winning four Spanish league titles and nine other trophies.

FC Dallas forward Bernard Kamungo and defender Nkosi Tafari have been called up to the U.S. Men’s National Team January Camp from Jan. 8-16. Both should be back in North Texas in time for the friendly.

Rosters for the friendly will be shared at a later date.

“We are thrilled to welcome FC Dallas back to the Cotton Bowl, their original home, for a match against Inter Miami,” said Dallas Mayor Eric L. Johnson. “Dallas is a dynamic city with deep soccer roots, and this highly anticipated match will certainly generate even more soccer buzz as we get ready to host the FIFA World Cup 2026.”

The two sides have met three times in MLS regular season action with Dallas holding a 2-0-1 record.

GET TICKETS TO FC DALLAS, INTER MIAMI MATCH

FC Dallas season ticket holders will be contacted to secure reserved tickets to this match. Tickets for the match will be on sale to the public beginning Monday, Jan. 8 at 10 a.m. at fairparktix.com.

The match is being operated through a third-party promoter, separate from FC Dallas and Inter Miami, and all ticket questions can be directed to [email protected] or by calling 214-670-8400.