Inter Miami will experience a historic day this Saturday with the official inauguration of the Nu Stadium, the new stadium where Lionel Messi He will begin to write another unforgettable chapter of his career. The MLS team will leave behind years of waiting and will finally open its own home with a duel against Austin FC, on a night that promises excitement, spectacle and strong symbolism for the soccer in the United States.
The opening of the new venue represents much more than a change of headquarters: it marks the definitive consolidation of the project promoted by David Beckham, maximized since the arrival of Messi in 2023 and today converted into one of the most followed franchises on the continent.
Messi, excited to debut in the new Inter Miami stadium
In advance of the inauguration, Lionel Messi himself expressed his enthusiasm for playing an official match for the first time in the club’s brand new stadium.
“It’s going to be a very nice day. We already wanted to be able to play there, to make our official debut and the time has come,” said the Argentine captain in a video broadcast by Inter Miami.
At 38 years old, Messi is preparing for another special moment in a career full of iconic stages. This time, the protagonist will be a stadium built largely under the impact of his presence, in a city where his figure completely transformed the dimension of the club.
What the Nu Stadium is like, the new home of Inter Miami
Nu Stadium will have a capacity for 26,700 spectators and will be the new permanent home of Inter Miami, which since entering the MLS in 2020 had played at home at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
The stadium is part of the Miami Freedom Park project, a large 58-hectare recreational and commercial area located near Miami International Airport.
The work, whose cost is around $350 million, was accelerated so that it would be ready before the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
In addition, the venue is sponsored by the Brazilian financial company Nubank, which gives its name to the stadium in a high-profile international bet.
David Beckham’s dream that took more than a decade
The inauguration of the stadium also settles an old debt with the city of Miami and with the soccer fans of South Florida.
When David Beckham announced in 2014 that he wanted to found an MLS franchise in Miami, he promised that the club would have its own identity and also a stadium in the city.
However, the project suffered multiple delays due to political, urban and administrative issues, which postponed the completion of the plan for years.
For this reason, the opening of Nu Stadium represents the culmination of a long wait for one of the most sporting cities in the United States, where historic franchises such as the Miami Heat, the Miami Dolphins and the Miami Marlins coexist, but where football was still looking for a definitive home.
Messi will have a stand with his name in the new stadium
One of the most symbolic details of Inter Miami’s new home will be the special tribute to Lionel Messi.
The club confirmed that one of the areas of the stadium will be named “Leo Messi Grandstand”, an unusual recognition for a footballer who is still active.
The decision reflects the immediate impact that the man from Rosario had since his arrival at the club in mid-2023, when he completely changed the history of Inter Miami on and off the field.
Since then, Messi not only raised the global visibility of the franchise, but also led it to its greatest sporting successes.
Messi changed the history of Inter Miami
Since his arrival in the MLS, Lionel Messi turned Inter Miami into a leading and winning team.
The Argentine star led the club to win its first official titles and, on an individual level, he established himself as the great figure of the championship with decisive performances and an unprecedented commercial impact.
His most recent achievements include:
Two consecutive MVP awards in the MLS (2024 and 2025)
Golden Boot last season
Absolute leadership in the North American league champion team
For this reason, the inauguration of the Nu Stadium appears as a natural consequence of the new status that the club achieved since the arrival of the Argentine captain.
Marc Anthony will be at Inter Miami’s big party
The premiere of the stadium will not only be about football. Inter Miami also prepared a special party to accompany a historic night.
Although the club kept a good part of the details of the event to itself, it did confirm the participation of singer Marc Anthony, a figure very close to the institution and a regular attendee of the team’s matches.
The artist will be in charge of performing the national anthem at the opening ceremony, bringing a touch of spectacle and Latin culture to a day that aims to become one of the most memorable in the club’s short history.
A historic night for Miami and for Messi
The inauguration of Nu Stadium not only represents an institutional step for Inter Miami. It is also a sign of the growth of soccer in the United States and the role that Lionel Messi has had in that expansion.
What for years was just a promise, this Saturday will become a reality. And for Miami fans, the dream could not have a better image: a new stadium, a champion team and Lionel Messi as the great emblem of a new era.
