The most well-known club in Major League Soccer (MLS), Inter Miami, will commence their 2024 season with a match against Real Salt Lake. Keep reading to learn all about Lionel Messi and his team’s first competitive game of the year.
Inter Miami will host Real Salt Lake at the recently renamed Chase Stadium for their MLS 2024 season opener on Wednesday night (February 21). The match is set to begin at 8:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT. Unfortunately, fans in the United States will not be able to watch Lionel Messi and his former Barcelona teammates live on TV. However, they do have the option to stream the game via MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+. Subscribing to the MLS Season Pass costs $15 per month or $99 for the entire season.
Inter Miami coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino has confirmed that former Barcelona stars Lionel Messi and would-be debutant Luis Suarez are both ready to play against Real Salt Lake. Barring any last-minute issues, the duo is expected to start the game at Chase Stadium. However, due to injuries sustained by Facundo Farias, Benjamin Cremaschi, Ian Fray, Franco Negri, and Robbie Robinson, Martino might choose to limit Messi and Suarez’s playing time. Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets are also likely to be in the starting lineup against Real Salt Lake.
After the remarkable performance of Lionel Messi, Inter Miami won their first-ever trophy, the Leagues Cup, in the 2023 season. However, due to Messi’s recurring injuries, the team’s momentum did not carry over to the MLS. Inter Miami finished second to last in 14th place in the Eastern Conference standings, falling nine points short of a playoff spot. This year, they are determined to improve, and it all starts with a match against Real Salt Lake.
During the pre-season, the Vice City team played a total of seven friendly matches since January 2024. Unfortunately, Inter Miami only managed to secure one victory in those games, which came against a makeshift Hong Kong Team on February 4. Out of the remaining six games, Miami drew three and lost three, with their most significant defeat being a 6-0 loss against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr on February 1. However, Ronaldo was unable to play for Al-Nassr, and Messi only entered the game in the final minutes.
The Herons’ pre-season form was far from impressive. They lacked composure, conceded goals, and struggled to convert their chances. However, this does not necessarily mean they will perform the same way in their MLS opener. We believe that Lionel Messi will be determined to make a strong statement on Wednesday. For that reason alone, we predict that the hosts will come out on top with a 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake.
According to the Source sportslens.com