The US club Inter Miami has named a grandstand in its future stadium after Argentine soccer world champion Lionel Messi.
“Usually honors like this look to the past. This one is different. This one comes from the present,” Miami said. The 38-year-old Messi has been playing for the MLS team from Florida since 2023 and is Inter’s record goalscorer with 82 goals.
Miami will play its first game at the 26,700-fan Nu Stadium on April 4 against FC Austin.
“Honoring someone doesn’t always mean closing a chapter. Sometimes it’s about realizing that you’re witnessing something unique,” the statement continued.
A stand at Newell’s Old Boys is already named after Messi, who captained Argentina to the World Cup title in 2022. Messi played for the six-time champions until the age of 13, and a stand at the Estadio Marcelo Bielsa has borne his name since June 2025. Now the “Leo Messi stand” follows less than a year later in Miami.
