COMMERCE CITY, Colo — Lionel Messi, one of the greatest soccer players in history, will make Miami and Major League Soccer his next move, international soccer writers Guillem Balague and Fabrizio Romano both reported Wednesday
Neither Major League Soccer nor the 35-year-old have made an official announcement, but the reports have already sent major waves through the American soccer community.
It's unclear exactly when Messi would join Inter Miami, but the reported move already has ticket prices soaring for some games involving Miami this season.
Unfortunately for Colorado soccer fans, the Rapids' 2023 schedule does not include a matchup with Messi's future team. In fact, Miami, who joined Major League Soccer in 2020, has never played a match against the Rapids.
The Rapids play in the Western Conference, while Miami is in the Eastern Conference. All clubs in each conference play each other every season, but each team only plays six or seven games against teams from the other conference.
The non-conference opponents change each season, so there is a chance Miami could make a visit to Dick's Sporting Goods Park in 2024. We'll find out when MLS releases next season's schedule, which usually happens sometime around December.
About halfway through the 2023 season, the Rapids are in 13th place in the 14-team Western Conference, with 13 points (2 wins, 8 losses and 7 ties). Their next match is Saturday at Orlando City.
For its part, Inter Miami is currently last in the MLS Eastern Conference, with 15 points (5 wins, 11 losses, 0 ties).
Messi's arrival comes as the United States is set to host the 2024 Copa America, which he is expected to lead Argentina in, as well as the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
TEGNA Digital and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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