Lionel Messi will have the rare honour of playing in front of a stand bearing his name when Inter Miami CF open their new stadium next week.
The club announced that a stand at the 26,700 capacity Nu Stadium will be named after their captain. Miami are set to play their first match at the new venue on April 4 against Austin FC.
The reigning Major League Soccer Cup champions began the season with five consecutive away matches, having used Chase Stadium as a temporary home since their inaugural campaign in 2020.
Messi, already the club’s all time leader in both goals and assists, has scored 82 times and provided 53 assists since arriving in 2023.
He will now feature in front of a stand named in his honour while still actively playing.
In a statement, the club said the gesture reflects recognition of a player still shaping the present rather than commemorating the past.
"Traditionally, tributes look to the past. They are built from nostalgia. From memory. This one is different," the statement said.
"This one is born from the present. From what is happening right now. From what you feel every time Leo steps onto the pitch.
"Recognising someone is not always about closing a chapter. Sometimes it is about realising you are witnessing something unique."
Miami have collected 10 points from their first five matches this season, placing them third in the Eastern Conference behind Nashville SC and New York City FC.
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