Lionel Messi and Inter Miami's bid for Major League Soccer glory in 2024 is on track.
Inter Miami picked up a 2-0 victory in their season opener, beating Real Salt Lake in a very sloppy match across the 90 minutes. Messi was the star, assisting Robert Taylor's opener and creating the chance for Diego Gomez's second-half finisher. He also shone in a rout of Orlando City, but when he was rested for the game with Montreal, it ended in defeat for Tata Martino's team.
Messi had a turbulent preseason, to say the least, as it was marked by controversy over his injury rest. His decision to sit out a friendly match against an All-Star XI in Hong Kong caused great anger among fans and political figures and served as something of a cautionary tale for MLS clubs considering similar global tours.
However, Tata Martino has effectively blended youth and experience so far, with Inter top of the Eastern Conference standings despite Messi's recent absence at the Copa America.
The Sporting News provides you with the latest Lionel Messi schedule and the full MLS, CONCACAF Champions Cup, and Leagues Cup calendar for Inter Miami.
Lionel Messi next match for Inter Miami
Messi sat out the 3-1 win over Toronto FC with the ankle sprain he suffered during the Copa America. His compatriot Federico Redondo scored twice to seal a sixth consecutive MLS win.
Inter Miami's next game is against Chicago Fire on Sunday, July 21.
- Date: Sat, July 20
- Time (ET): 7:30 p.m.
- Competition: MLS
- Match: Inter Miami vs. Chicago Fire (Chase Stadium — Ft. Lauderdale, FL.)
- TV (USA): None
- Streaming (USA): MLS Season Pass from Apple TV
Inter Miami full fixture list for 2024 season
CONCACAF Champions Cup
As 2023 Leagues Cup winners, Inter Miami earned a bye to the Round of 16, where they defeated MLS side Nashville SC over two legs. The run ended there, however, as Monterrey eliminated Inter Miami by a 5-2 aggregate in the quarterfinals.
| Matchup | First Leg | Second Leg | Aggregate |
| R16: Inter Miami vs. Nashville SC | 2-2 (A) | 3-1 (H) | 5-3 |
| QF: Inter Miami vs Monterrey | 1-2 (H) | 1-3 (A) | 2-5 |
MLS
Inter Miami kicked off their 2024 MLS season with a 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake at home in late February, participating in the first match of the entire league campaign.
Their regular season will finish on Decision Day on October 19, when they play New England Revolution on Decision Day.
| Date | Opponent | Location | Result |
| Weds, Feb. 21 | Real Salt Lake | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | W 2-0 |
| Sun, Feb. 25 | LA Galaxy | Dignity Health Sports Park (Carson, CA) | D 1-1 |
| Sat, March 2 | Orlando City | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | W 5-0 |
| Fri, March 8 | Nashville SC | Geodis Park (Nashville, TN) | D 2-2 |
| Sun, March 10 | Montreal | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | L 3-2* |
| Sat, March 16 | D.C. United | Audi Field (Washington, DC) | W 3-1* |
| Sat, March 23 | NY Red Bulls | Red Bull Arena (Harrison, NJ) | L 4-0* |
| Sat, March 30 | NYCFC | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | D 1-1* |
| Sat, April 6 | Colorado Rapids | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | D 2-2 |
| Sat, April 13 | Sporting KC | Children's Mercy Park (Kansas City, KS) | W 3-2 |
| Sat, April 20 | Nashville SC | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | W 3-1 |
| Sat, April 27 | New England Revolution | Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, MA) | W 4-1 |
| Sat, May 4 | NY Red Bulls | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | W 6-2 |
| Sat, May 11 | Montreal | Stade Saputo (Montreal, Canada) | W 3-2 |
| Wed, May 15 | Orlando City | Exploria Stadium (Orlando, FL) | D 0-0 |
| Sat, May 18 | D.C. United | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | W 1-0 |
| Sat, May 25 | Vancouver Whitecaps | BC Place (Vancouver, Canada) | W 2-1 |
| Wed, May 29 | Atlanta United | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | L 3-1 |
| Sat, June 1 | St. Louis City | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | D 3-3 |
| Sat, June 15 | Philadelphia Union | Subaru Park (Chester, PA) | W 2-1 |
| Wed, June 19 | Columbus Crew | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | W 2-1 |
| Sat, June 29 | Nashville SC | GEODIS Park (Nashville, TN) | W 2-1 |
| Wed, July 3 | Charlotte FC | Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, NC) | W 2-1 |
| Sat, July 6 | FC Cincinnati | TQL Stadium (Cincinnati, OH) | W 6-1 |
| Wed, July 17 | Toronto | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | W 3-1 |
| Sat, July 20 | Chicago Fire | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | |
| Sat, Aug. 24 | FC Cincinnati | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | |
| Sat, Aug. 31 | Chicago Fire | Soldier Field (Chicago, IL) | |
| Sat, Sep. 14 | Philadelphia Union | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | |
| Wed, Sep. 18 | Atlanta United | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) | |
| Sat, Sep. 21 | NYCFC | Yankee Stadium (New York City, NY) | |
| Sat, Sep. 28 | Charlotte FC | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | |
| Wed, Oct. 2 | Columbus Crew | Lower.com Field (Columbus, OH) | |
| Sat, Oct. 5 | Toronto | BMO Field (Toronto, Canada) | |
| Sat, Oct. 19 | New England Revolution | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) |
* Lionel Messi did not participate
Leagues Cup
The 2024 Leagues Cup is scheduled to begin on July 26, running for a month while the MLS season pauses play.
The final will take place on August 25, after which MLS league play will resume. Inter Miami were drawn against two Mexican clubs in Tigres UNAL and Puebla for the group stage. The top two teams in each group qualify for the knockout stage, while the bottom side is eliminated.
| Round | Date | Opponent | Score |
| Group Stage | Sat, Jul. 27 | Puebla | |
| Group Stage | Sat, Aug. 3 | Tigres | |
| Round of 32 | Aug. 7-9 | TBD (if qualified) | |
| Round of 16 | Aug. 12-13 | TBD (if qualified) | |
| Quarterfinals | Aug. 16-17 | TBD (if qualified) | |
| Semifinals | Aug. 20-21 | TBD (if qualified) | |
| Final | Sun, Aug. 25 | TBD (if qualified) |
