Inter Miami to play first regular-season match at new stadium on April 4

MIAMI: Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will play its first Major League Soccer (MLS) home match in their new stadium — Miami Freedom Park — for the first time on April 4, one of the highlights of the league’s schedule, which was revealed Thursday.

The 2026 MLS regular season starts on February 21 and runs through November 7.

It’ll be the last season in the February-to-November model, after which a shortened 2027 season will be followed by the new summer-to-spring calendar for the 2027-28 campaign to better align with other global leagues.

Inter Miami will open the season with five consecutive away matches, which presumably will allow for the finishing touches to be made to Miami Freedom Park — the team’s still-under-construction home near Miami International Airport. It’s not clear yet if there will be pre-season or other matches at the stadium before April 4.

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