In June last year, Lionel Messi began his journey in football in the United States after leaving Europe. His arrival as a global champion has transformed the landscape of football in the US. He has become a soccer sensation on and off the field since then. Despite injury and fatigue towards the end of the season, Messi couldn’t secure victory in the US Open Cup final or even lead his team to win the MLS Cup playoffs.
Nevertheless, Messi’s impact on American football has been immense even within a short time, despite not playing a full season. He’s now looking forward, putting behind the successes and failures of the past season, towards 2024, where he’ll play a full-fledged season. His team has already announced plans and preparations for the preseason friendly match, with Inter Miami scheduling their first match against El Salvador.
However, there’s some concern regarding the match against El Salvador for Inter Miami. Just a day after this match, they have an international friendly against Slovenia. In this context, it’s uncertain whether two American footballers from Inter Miami, Benjamin Kramaric and Deandre Yedlin, will play for their national team or the club.
Regarding the schedule confirmation, Chris Henderson, Inter Miami’s Chief Soccer Officer & Sporting Director, stated, “We are excited to announce our preseason plans and preparation for the upcoming 2024 season. We are looking forward to facing the El Salvador National Team, which will be a great challenge for the team to play against some of the country’s best players.”
With the preseason schedule being finalized, Miami has also announced the sale of season tickets. With Messi’s arrival, there has been an overwhelming response from fans attending Miami’s matches. Furthermore, through social media, Miami has announced the sale of “season tickets,” and even if they aren’t available, they’ll soon start selling individual match tickets.
While ticket sales surged due to Messi’s presence, not all of Miami’s ardent supporters are pleased. The escalating prices have financially burdened many supporters, with some feeling the proposed doubling of the ticket prices for 2024 has been an unexpected setback.
A vocal supporter named Mike Longin had earlier mentioned, “This development has surprised many. It’s beyond many people’s affordability. It’s a tough pill to swallow, and many are left feeling disappointed.”
