Inter Miami is expanding its stadium capacity for the arrival and debut of Lionel Messi.
DRV PNK Stadium, located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is adding temporary bleachers in the venue's southeast and northeast corners.
There's unlimited demand to see the world's greatest footballer stateside in the MLS for the first time, even more so given the stadium's intimate 18,000-seat capacity. The new seats will admit 3,000 – 4,000 more fans into the stadium.
Interestingly, Inter Miami declined the offer to host the reveal at the much larger 65,000 Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Messi's “The Unveiling” to be a star-studded event
The World Cup Champion and seven-time Ballon d'Or winner will feature in an official unveiling on Sunday, July 16.
Dubbed “The Unveil,” the MLS and Inter Miami are working with Fox and Univision to interrupt the Gold Cup final at 8 pm to shine a light on the Argentine's grand entrance.
Bad Bunny, Shakira, & Maluma are all expected to perform during the Messi presentation on Sunday. On-the-field speeches from Inter Mia co-owners David Beckham and Jorge Mas and, of course, Messi himself, are also likely.
The Argentine expects to play in his first-ever MLS game on Friday, July 21, at the expanded DRV PNK Stadium. The Herons will take on Cruz Azul in the newly revamped Leagues Cup group stages, the month-long tournament which pits MLS teams against Liga MX.
Messi and his family arrived in Florida yesterday at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, nearby DRV PNK stadium.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons/elisfkc2
