Inter Miami are planning to hand Lionel Messi his debut on July 21 in the Leagues Cup match against Cruz Azul, club owner Jorge Mas hinted on Monday.
The legendary Argentine announced his decision to move to MLS on June 7, arriving on a free transfer following his Paris Saint-Germain exit.
Messi was given the chance to return to former club Barcelona and also received an eye-watering €400m-a-year offer from Saudi Pro League team Al Hilal, but is instead heading to South Florida on a two-and-a-half-year contract that includes the option of an additional year.
Inter Miami's offer will not only pocket Messi between $50m and $60m-a-year over time but will also give him an ownership stake in the club. There are also pending commercial deals involving Apple and adidas, though Mas insisted "no rules are being changed to incorporate Messi onto Inter Miami's roster."
To prepare for Messi's arrival, Inter Miami are looking to expand DRV PNK Stadium by 3,000 seats to hold more than the current 22,000 capacity, with Mas confirming that he hopes work to be completed by mid-July.
READ MORE ON LIONEL MESSI'S MOVE TO INTER MIAMI
“We have already contracted to fill in the corners of the stadium that should increase capacity by approximately 3,000 to 3,200 seats (New capacity: 22,000 to 22,200). We are gearing up to do that work in the next four weeks," Mas told the Miami Herald. "Every game will be sold out. The demand for tickets has been 10 times what we can handle on a season ticket basis.
“Security will obviously be enhanced. Players will be bussed in, going through a tunnel. All of those security protocols are already prepared both for here and away. And it’s not only for our games. It’s going to be an everyday occurrence and something we witnessed and I thought handled very well when (Messi) was here with Argentina before the World Cup.
"As you may recall, Argentina trained in Miami before they flew over to Doha [for 2022 World Cup], where we had an opportunity to see some of the Messi mania at our doors on an everyday basis during practice. So, we're very prepared. We've been getting ready for this."
The match against Cruz Azul will mark the start of Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup campaign, a tournament designed to pit all Liga MX and MLS teams against each other for the first time ever. The 2023 edition will see 15 groups with Major League Soccer and Liga MX teams compete in a 'World Cup-style' competition from July 21 to August 19.
This article was originally published on 90min as Lionel Messi's proposed Inter Miami debut date revealed.