Lionel Messi Stand to be Unveiled at Inter Miami’s Nu Stadium

Fort Lauderdale—Inter Miami CF announced Friday that the east stand of its new Nu Stadium will officially bear the name of Lionel Messi, capping a week of anticipation ahead of the club’s first home match at the venue on April 4 against Austin FC.

The “Leo Messi Stand,” encompassing sections 117-121 in the lower bowl and 217-223 in the upper bowl, makes the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner what the club calls “a rare and unique case” in global sport: an active player honored with a permanent stadium designation.

“Recognizing someone is not always about closing a chapter. Sometimes it is about realizing you are witnessing something unique,” the club said in a statement released alongside renderings of the stand’s new signage.

Messi, 38, arrived in South Florida in 2023 after leaving Paris Saint-Germain and extended his contract through the 2028 season last April. In just two full campaigns he has compiled 82 goals and 53 assists, both franchise records, while captaining the team to the 2023 Leagues Cup, the 2024 Supporters’ Shield, and the 2025 MLS Cup. He captured the league’s golden boot and MVP double in 2025, repeating as MVP after first winning the award in 2024.

The 26,700-seat Miami Freedom Park stadium—branded Nu Stadium under a naming-rights agreement with Nubank announced earlier this month—replaces Chase Bank stadium, located 33 miles away. Inter Miami, which began play in 2020, will call the new facility home from 2026 onward.

Currently third in the Eastern Conference with three wins from five matches and three points off the lead, Miami hopes the unveiling of the Leo Messi Stand will provide an extra jolt for the sold-out April 4 debut. Club officials have not disclosed whether Messi will participate in a pre-game ceremony, but supporters in the newly christened sections are expected to display a tifo saluting the Argentine star before kickoff.