Tag: inter miami

Championship-winning football is finally coming to Huntington Bank Field

The Columbus Crew will take the field in Cleveland to host Lionel Messi and Inter Miami this upcoming Spring

While the Cleveland Browns might be struggling in 2024, at least the Columbus Crew will get to sink their cleats into Huntington Bank Field.

Hosting Inter Miami on April 19, the Crew (another Haslam Sports Group-owned team) will be taking on Lionel Messi and company off the coast of Lake Erie. These two teams have a knack for winning, something that has been sorely missing from Huntington Bank Field for the last three decades.

The Crew finished runner-up in the CONCACAF North American Champions Cup in 2024, and are back in contention for the cup again as they start the round of 16 teams in March. They finished their 2024 campaign second in the Eastern Conference behind only Miami before they were knocked out by Red Bull New York in the first round of the playoffs.

This matchup between Inter Miami and Columbus will draw a healthy crowd, and potentially a bigger one than any December Browns game this year as the team sits at 3-11 on the year.

Chicago Fire (again) offer fans credit if Messi no-shows

Fans in Chicago could miss out on the Argentina star for the second year running

For the second year in a row, fans in Chicago could miss out on seeing Lionel Messi. And for the second year in a row, the Chicago Fire are set to offer them something for their trouble.

Inter Miami announced this week that Messi is out indefinitely with an ankle ligament injury he suffered during the Copa América final against Colombia on Sunday.

Inter Miami’s visit to Soldier Field is set for August 31, giving the Argentine star around six weeks to recover in time to face the Fire.

Though the game is still off in the distance, the Fire announced on Friday that they are taking preventative steps to mitigate the damage from a Messi-less match.

If Messi is unavailable, the Fire will offer all single-match buyers $250 off two or more new 2025 season ticket memberships, or $100 off two or more single-match tickets for the game against Inter Miami.

For fans who already had tickets to the game, the Fire will offer the opportunity to claim two free tickets to an October 19 match against Nashville SC.

“As the club looks forward to filling Soldier Field with fans to cheer on the hometown Chicago Fire, it does recognize that a player of Inter Miami star forward Lionel Messi’s caliber always helps to draw a larger crowd and attract new fans to the beautiful game,” the Fire said in a statement.

Deja vu for Fire fans?

The Fire are getting used to dealing with this very situation, having seen Messi miss Inter Miami’s October 2023 match at Soldier Field with an injury.

The club took similar measures in that case, offering a $250 credit toward new season ticket memberships, or a $50 account credit for anyone unable to use the new member credit.

Though the Fire said they “are confident that [Messi] will be back on the pitch for next month’s match-up,” the club added that there would be plenty of attractions for fans beyond the match, including a post-match performance by Jason Derulo.
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Messi: Inter Miami will be my last club

The Argentina superstar will turn 37 next month

Lionel Messi has said that Inter Miami will be the last club of his career.

The Argentina superstar joined the MLS side last year, and has made an enormous impact both on and off the field as he nears the one-year anniversary of his debut with the Herons.

Messi led Inter Miami to a Leagues Cup title last summer, and this year has started the season with an incredible record of 12 goals and 13 assists in just 12 MLS games.

There has been speculation over whether Messi, who turns 37 next month, would ever join another club after Inter Miami. Rumors have persisted about a return to Newell’s Old Boys, the Argentine club where he played as a child before moving to Barcelona at age 10.

But in an interview with ESPN, the superstar appeared to close the door on a move to another club after the Herons.

Asked if Inter Miami would be his last club, Messi replied: “Yes, as of today, it’s going to be my last club.”

Messi signed a two-and-a-half-year contract at Inter Miami last year, taking him through the 2025 season, with a reported option to extend for another 12 months.

On his eventual retirement, he added: “I don’t think about it. I try to enjoy everything much more. There’s less and less to go, I want to have a good time at my club and in the national team, where I have great teammates and friends. And I enjoy the little details that I know that when I don’t play anymore I will miss.”

He added: “There is always a little fear that everything will end.”

Messi has been called into Argentina’s squad for the Copa América, which begins later this month in the United States. Argentina will be looking to defend its title from 2021, which it earned by beating Brazil in the final.

The Argentina legend has said he is open to continuing his international career through the 2026 World Cup, having previously indicated that his last World Cup would be in 2022.

Argentina, of course, emerged victorious in 2022, defeating France in the final as Messi lifted his first World Cup title.

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Martino apologizes for Messi absence after Inter Miami wins in Vancouver

Martino didn’t feel like he needed to apologize — but he did so anyway

Inter Miami head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino didn’t feel like he needed to apologize for his stars’ absence at Vancouver, but he did so anyway.

Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, and Sergio Busquets all didn’t make the trip to for Inter Miami’s game against the Whitecaps on Saturday, disappointing fans who thought they’d get a glimpse of the star trio.

A record crowd of 51,035 showed up at BC Place, as the Herons still managed a 2-1 road victory through goals from Robert Taylor and Leo Campana.

Prior to the game, the Whitecaps issued an extraordinary statement confirming the star trio’s absence themselves, rather than taking the traditional path of waiting for Inter Miami to announce the decision.

“Unfortunately, we have no control over who plays for our opponent, and it was important for us to communicate to our fans as soon as possible,“ Whitecaps CEO Axel Schuster said in the statement.

Martino said he understood the disappointment of fans — many of whom paid exorbitant ticket prices on the secondary market — but emphasized that his priority was protecting his players.

“Obviously [the win] is very important for us because of the absences we had,” Martino said in his post-game press conference.

“The expectation that people have. I really don’t think I have to apologize, but in some ways we are very sorry for not being able to travel with our stars. There is a question, we have or have come without our great players. Leo, Luis, Busi, Diego Gómez and still we have competed very well.”

Inter Miami is back in action on Wednesday when it faces Atlanta United at home. All of the team’s stars are expected to be available.

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Vancouver FC offers free tickets to Whitecaps fans hurting over Messi snub

Disappointed fans will have one option to ease their pain: more soccer!

Fans with tickets to the Vancouver Whitecaps match against Inter Miami on Saturday may be feeling a bit despondent right now.

After many paid exorbitant prices for the match, the Whitecaps announced on Thursday evening that the main attraction, Lionel Messi, wouldn’t be making the trip to British Columbia.

If that weren’t enough, Luis Suárez, and Sergio Busquets will also miss out on the MLS match. None are known to be injured, as it appears the veteran trio are simply being spared the cross-continental journey to play on turf.

In an effort at damage control, the Whitecaps took the unusual step of confirming the trio’s absence themselves, rather than wait for Inter Miami to make the announcement. The Canadian club also offered fans some discounts on food and beverages.

But now those disappointed fans will have one more option to ease their pain: more soccer!

Vancouver FC announced on Thursday that any fan with a ticket to the Whitecaps-Inter Miami match could gain free entry to their derby match against Pacific FC on Saturday.

The Canadian Premier League side made the offer, it said, “in light of the recent news that a certain Argentinan football player is unable to make the match with our sold-out neighbors downtown.”

The CPL game will take place at 3 p.m. at Willoughby Community Park, which would give fans time to make the roughly 45-minute journey to BC Place to catch the 7:30 p.m. kickoff of the MLS match.

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Whitecaps issue extraordinary statement confirming Messi, Suarez, Busquets won’t travel to Vancouver

The Canadian club said the statement was designed to inform fans as soon as possible

Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, and Sergio Busquets all won’t make the trip to Vancouver for Inter Miami’s game against the Whitecaps on Saturday.

Instead of Inter Miami confirming the news themselves, the announcement was actually made on Thursday by the Whitecaps.

It was an unusual move, which Vancouver CEO Axel Schuster said was designed to get the message out to fans as soon as possible.

“While we haven’t received an official update on the availability of Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, and Sergio Busquets for this weekend, we understand they will not make this trip. Unfortunately, we have no control over who plays for our opponent, and it was important for us to communicate to our fans as soon as possible,“ Schuster said in a club statement.

“We always want our best players going up against our opponent’s best players, and facing players of the highest pedigree was especially exciting for our team. We know that there will also be a lot of disappointed fans.

“We remain committed to making this a special experience for everyone. It is still going to be an incredible atmosphere and celebration of soccer for our city. We have amazing fans, we have a good team, and Saturday’s match is a very important home game for us.”

The Whitecaps are expecting a club record MLS-era crowd on Saturday at BC Place, with many of those fans likely paying exorbitant fees for their tickets on the secondary market.

In an effort at damage control, the Whitecaps announced all in-stadium food and beverages for the match will be 50 percent off, while children 18 and under will be provided one free kids meal combo.

That will likely be cold comfort to fans, who seemed to have hit the jackpot when the 2024 schedule was released. Due to an unbalanced schedule, Vancouver is one of just three Western Conference cities that will host Inter Miami.

Messi played in the other two games — at the LA Galaxy on February 25 and at Sporting Kansas City on April 13 — but Vancouver has missed out on seeing the Argentine legend along with Suárez and Busquets.

None of the trio have a known injury. Instead, Miami seems to be sparing the veterans from one of the longest road trips in MLS, with Vancouver and Miami nearly 3,500 miles apart.

Inter Miami also has a short turnaround for a game that is more significant: Wednesday’s home match against conference rival Atlanta United.

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Messi questionable for Orlando City match after picking up new injury

The Argentine superstar is in doubt for Wednesday night’s rivalry match

Lionel Messi could be set to miss Inter Miami’s match against rival Orlando City after picking up a knock over the weekend, assistant coach Javier Morales said.

Messi was on the receiving end of a rough challenge from CF Montréal defender George Campbell on Saturday. The Argentine star received treatment on his knee before eventually returning to a match Miami won 3-2.

As he waited to re-enter the match, Messi decried the new MLS rule that requires players who stay down injured for longer than 15 seconds to leave the field for at least two minutes.

Though Messi was able to finish the match, Morales revealed on Tuesday that the 36-year-old is experiencing some lingering effects that could sideline him for Wednesday’s game in Orlando.

“We are going to check Messi today, see how he feels today during the training session and then make a decision,” Morales said. “Yesterday, he did the bike and jogged a little bit and felt his knee a little bit but we’ll see how he is today.

“He suffered a hit to the knee on Saturday vs. Montréal, he continued playing through the end of the game and then iced it when finished. He trained with the players yesterday who did regenerative work, with the bicycle and a bit of jogging on the field.

“Now, like the rest of the players, we will evaluate them to see how they feel and who is ready.”

Messi has been near-unstoppable in MLS play this season, tallying 10 goals and 12 assists in just nine total games. The match at Montréal was the first time in 2024 that Messi didn’t have a goal contribution in a game.

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Messi finds camera, tells whole world he loathes new MLS rule

Messi made sure everyone watching knew how he felt about one new MLS regulation

MLS has some new rules, and Lionel Messi thinks at least one of them should go.

During Inter Miami’s 3-2 win at CF Montréal, Messi quite literally looked into a broadcast camera to announce his take on MLS’s new guidelines for players who need to leave the field for treatment.

Under the new regulations, a player who stays down injured for longer than 15 seconds must leave the field for a minimum of two minutes, and is not allowed back until the referee waves them on.

Messi got to give the new rule a spin after an ugly 40th minute challenge from Montréal defender George Campbell on Saturday.

Messi understandably stayed down for well over a minute after the heavy contact with his shin and foot. Since referee Drew Fischer didn’t book Campbell, Messi was required to trudge off the field with Miami’s training staff.

The icon got to the touchline at Stade Saputo in the 43rd minute, watching on as play resumed for only a few seconds. The next stoppage? Another Montréal foul, this time with Samuel Piette clipping Luis Suárez in prime territory for Messi to fire a direct free kick on goal.

However, Fischer enforced the new regulations, meaning Messi had to stand on and watch. That’s when Messi offered up his take on the rule, which was the product of some experimentation in MLS Next Pro dating back to the 2022 season.

Finding a midfield camera and looking directly into it, Messi shook his head and said in Spanish “With this type of rule, we are doing badly.”

With 10 men on the pitch and Messi essentially rolling his eyes, the Herons got a remedy to their complaints.

Matías Rojas stepped in for Messi on the dead ball, delivering a sensational, curling free kick from nearly 30 yards out.

Messi would have to continue standing on the touchline until the 45th minute, when fourth official Michael Venne allowed the No. 10 to make his way back into the match.

If that weren’t enough, Miami ran afoul of another new MLS rule in the game’s final moments. Protecting a narrow lead as stoppage time loomed, Suárez was replaced by Leo Campana. However, the Uruguayan took longer than the maximum of 10 seconds MLS has mandated for players to leave the field.

The league has issued a new rule where, in that situation, the substitute entering play must wait a full minute before coming on. Venne enforced the rule, setting off vociferous protests from Suárez, Campana, and Miami manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino (who at least recovered his composure to drag Suárez away before the situation got worse).

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Messi breaks MLS record with five assists for Inter Miami…all in one half?!

Who does this? Literally no one!

Everyone knew Lionel Messi would be the best player in MLS upon arrival, but we’re now getting a look at just how extreme the situation is.

Messi produced a staggering five (5) assists in one half Saturday night, helping Inter Miami to a 6-2 demolition of the New York Red Bulls.

Luis Suárez and new addition Matías Rojas were the beneficiaries, with the Uruguayan star notching a hat trick. Rojas would strike twice, while Messi would chip in a goal for good measure, because why not?

It didn’t seem like the kind of night where this would happen. The Red Bulls actually walked off at halftime up 1-0 on a Dante Vanzeir goal, and had to be feeling alright about how things were going.

Messi had a different idea in mind.

Rojas would enter at halftime, and the Paraguayan played a major part in flipping this game on its head. Messi’s first assist would come just three minutes after play restarted, but in truth it was mostly about the thunderbolt Rojas unleashed from long range.  This time, all Messi had to do was play a square pass.

Two minutes later, the Red Bulls seemed to begin to collapse. Rojas’ pressure created a bad giveaway, and Suárez helped the ball on for Messi to finish with a first-time strike.

In alarming news for the rest of MLS, Rojas — making just his second appearance since being signed on April 23 — seemed to have an instant rapport with Messi. The duo would link up again, playing increasingly intricate one-twos until Messi defied geometry and our common understanding of space to send Rojas through for a 62nd minute goal.

Things just got worse for RBNY. Benjamin Cremaschi’s chip found Messi in behind the defense in the 69th minute, and two Red Bulls spent an eternity trying to just contain the Argentine icon.

Good news: they did avoid being beaten on the dribble. It’s just that Messi wedged a pass through a miniscule gap, finding Suárez on the doorstep to make it 4-1.

Next up? Another give-and-go sequence, this time with Messi waltzing away from the midfield in possession before combining with Suárez for a point-blank finish.

There was still more time, and with the Red Bulls seemingly unable to track Messi coming out of midfield, more goals were inevitable.

Messi seemed to consider the prospect of dribbling several people for a moment, but ultimately played a slide-rule pass that found Suárez, and the other former Barcelona great on the field evaded goalkeeper Carlos Coronel before shooting home from an acute angle.

On another night, Suárez’s hat trick and the big scoreline would have garnered all the attention. It’s just that Messi did something no one else has ever done, with his five assists and six goal involvements both setting new MLS records.

Entering the night, only 10 players in MLS had five assists on the season. For Messi, five assists in this game required just a 33-minute span, during which he also scored.

That leaves Messi atop the Golden Boot leaderboard with 10, and also way out in front on the assist chart with 12. Carlos Vela once had 49 goal involvements in a single season, setting the MLS record with 34 goals in the process.

Messi’s 22 combined goals and assists, gathered in just in eight appearances, have him on pace to get to around 61 if he plays the rest of Miami’s 22 remaining matches.

So yeah, looks like the guy can play a little.

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