Messi’s Inter Miami is visiting America First Field on Wednesday.
(Geneva Heffernan | AP) Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi, left, scores on a penalty kick last weekend in Denver.
Sandy • Real Salt Lake circled this game on its schedule long ago.
Then circled it again.
April 22.
The day Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami squad visits Utah for the first time.
When the Major League Soccer schedule was released months ago, this game prompted RSL officials to hold a news conference dedicated to honoring the soccer legend.
“Many of us recall iconic sports moments in our lifetimes. Watching the great Lionel Messi play in the heart of the Wasatch will be inspiring to fans, young players and our community at large,” Real Salt Lake governor Steve Miller said at the announcement last November.
Five months have passed since then, and the week of the event has arrived with no shortage of fanfare — and questions yet to be answered — ahead of Wednesday’s showdown in Sandy.
Will Messi play?
The most important question of all remains whether or not Messi will suit up for the game at all.
The 38-year-old superstar has missed just one of Miami’s seven MLS games so far this season, but it did come in a similar situation to the one Messi finds himself in during the Utah trip: a three-game week.
The Miami captain sat during the team’s trip to Charlotte on March 14, sandwiched between CONCACAF Champions Cup games against Nashville on March 11 and 18.
The game at America First Field also sits between two fixtures for Miami: one on the road against Rocky Mountain rival Colorado on Saturday, and a home game back in Florida against New England on Saturday, April 25.
Messi played the full 90 minutes — and scored twice — on Saturday in Denver in front of a crowd of 75,000-plus.
Will Messi play again on Wednesday?
The 20,000-plus fans and entire RSL team hope so, but the world may not know for sure until the day of.
A record crowd
Speaking of those fans …
How far beyond the listed capacity of 20,213 spectators can America First Field handle? Over 40,000 people requested tickets to the game, but the venue’s current attendance record is just 21,810 — set when former Real Madrid star Gareth Bale visited with LAFC in 2022.
The Miami game will certainly surpass that total, especially considering the nearly 1,000 temporary seats added on risers to the stadium’s north concourse this season.
On-field preparation
So, how is the team approaching such an important week?
“We have to bring the fans into the game and be electric and front-footed,” head coach Pablo Mastroeni said. “Both (San Diego and Miami) offer opportunities in transition and we’ve improved drastically in that area.”
A six-game undefeated streak and 4-0 record at home certainly have RSL’s confidence levels riding high, and the next-gen trio of Sergi Solans, Zavier Gozo and Aiden Hezarkhani has accounted for nine of the team’s 16 goals already.
As for the fan impact, or “12th man,” as Mastroeni put it? That shouldn’t be an issue. Veteran and fan favorite Justen Glad even visited a youth soccer practice in Sandy last month with players ages 10-15 to deliver 100 tickets himself to the Utah Development Academy.
“The 12th man is going to be huge,” Mastroeni said. “How can we incite the fans to become part of the experience when moments in games are tough?”
RSL has played Messi and Miami just once in the past — the 2024 season opener — and lost the match 2-0. Will the Claret and Cobalt face a similar fate in the second round on Wednesday?
One bit of developing news to follow ahead of the Utah matchup is the state of Miami’s bench, with head coach Javier Mascherano departing the club on April 14 and fellow Argentine Guillermo Hoyos taking over as interim.
Miami has four wins, one loss and three draws so far this season, with the lone loss coming in the season opener on the road against LAFC.
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