Lionel Messi MLS debut date announced; Inter Miami CF adding 3,000 seats

MIAMI, Fla. – International soccer star Lionel Messi is preparing to make his Major League Soccer debut after signing with Inter Miami CF earlier this month.

The 35-year-old Messi, who is widely considered the greatest soccer player in the world and perhaps of all-time, will make his MLS debut for Inter Miami on July 21 in a Leagues Cup match against Liga MX’s Cruz Azul. The match will be played at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The news of Messi’s planned debut was announced by Inter Miami Managing Owner Jorge Mas while speaking to reporters Monday.

“Having the world’s greatest soccer player here is something that is significant for our league, and for the football ecosystem in the United States,” Mas said, according to the Miami Herald. “…Lionel Messi is coming to this country to win cups and make a difference. I think it’s incumbent upon myself and my partners in the league, the other owners, to seize the moment.”

In preparation of Messi’s debut, Inter Miami will add 3,000 to 3,200 additional seats to increase capacity at DRV PNK Stadium.

“We are gearing up to do that work in the next four weeks,” Mas said. “Every game will be sold out. The demand for tickets has been 10 times what we can handle on a season ticket basis.”

Messi’s contract with Inter Miami is for two-and-a-half years and will be worth between $50 to $60 million per year, the Miami Herald reports, though it has not yet been finalized. The contract, which includes an option for 2026, covers salary, bonuses and equity in Inter Miami after his retirement.

In addition, Messi will also receive a cut of revenue from new subscribers to Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass streaming service, ESPN reports. The 2022 World Cup winner with Argentina also has a pending deal with Adidas, according to reports.

Messi chose to sign with Inter Miami after declining a contract offer to play in Saudi Arabia for a reported $400 million per year.

“I have made the decision that I am going to Miami. I still don’t have it agreed upon 100 percent and a few things are needed, but, well, we decided to continue my path there,” Messi said earlier this month. “After winning the World Cup and not being able to return to Barcelona, it was my turn to go to the league of the United States to live football in another way and to enjoy the day-to-day more. Obviously, with the same responsibility and desire to play well and do things well as always. But in a calmer way.”