Inter Miami CF is finally set to make its official Major League Soccer (MLS) debut this Sunday, March 1. The Club, which was officially awarded an MLS expansion bid in January 2018, will kick off its inaugural campaign with an away match against reigning Supporters’ Shield champions Los Angeles FC at Banc of California Stadium. The match will be nationally televised live on ESPN at 5:30 p.m. ET.
While the team is in California, the Club will host two special watch parties at home in South Florida. For more information on the events click here.
The match is part of Major League Soccer’s opening weekend, kicking off the league’s 25th Season Celebration. Inter Miami became the league’s 25th official franchise when it was awarded its expansion bid in 2018.
“We’ve had five excellent weeks of work. We’ve worked very well. What I’ve learned is that this is a very competitive group. We have to continue learning how to compete to be able to succeed this season,” said Head Coach Diego Alonso. “ We expect a great rival. We understand that it’s maybe one of the strongest teams in the league. We expect a team that will do their best and we are also going to do our best to show our best version of ourselves.”
The team first came together just over five weeks ago, kicking off the Club’s first-ever preseason. The group of new teammates and coaches traveled throughout Florida for the duration of preseason, making stops in Port Saint Lucie, Bradenton and Saint Petersburg as well as the Inter Miami CF Training Complex in South Florida, completing numerous intense training sessions and hard-fought preseason friendlies.
The Club’s inaugural roster heading into the match consists of a mix of young players and experienced MLS veterans, adding up to 28 First Team players. The team’s first signing, Matías Pellegrini, and its most recent signing, Rodolfo Pizarro, are its two Designated Players. Pellegrini, a 19-year-old Argentine winger, was signed by the Club as a Young Designated Player in July 2019. Pizarro, a 26-year-old Mexican international attacking midfielder, was signed in February 2020.
Goalkeeper Luis Robles, 35, was named team captain this week, receiving the captain’s armband from Head Coach Diego Alonso. Co-owners Jorge Mas and David Beckham were in attendance for the announcement, sharing words of encouragement for the Club’s first-ever captain.
Inter Miami’s opponent for the match, LAFC, is entering its third season in MLS. LAFC enjoyed a prosperous 2019 season, winning the Supporters’ Shield and breaking the league’s single-season points record along the way. The team’s record-breaking season also included a few other notable accomplishments; LAFC tied the record for most goals scored by a team in a season with 85, a record set by the LA Galaxy in 1998. They also set the record for best goal differential in a season at +48, surpassing the 1998 LA Galaxy’s record of +41.
Carlos Vela, a Mexican compatriot of Pizarro, shined for LAFC in 2019. The attacking player took home 2019 MLS MVP honors after breaking the single-season goals MLS goal-scoring record with 34 goals scored. He also finished the season with 15 assists to his name.
Single-game tickets to Inter Miami CF’s historic home debut on March 14 against the LA Galaxy have sold out. The only other way to guarantee a ticket to Inter Miami’s first-ever home game is by becoming a season ticket member. Less than 1,000 season tickets remain for the 2020 season. To purchase your season tickets or learn more, click here.
A limited number of single-game tickets remain for Inter Miami’s second home game on March 21 against the New York Red Bulls and third home game on April 5 against the Philadelphia Union are now on sale, visitinghttps://www.intermiamicf.com/en/tickets/single.
Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami will play all of its home matches at Inter Miami CF Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Located off Commercial Boulevard and I-95, the stadium stands adjacent to the Club’s new 50,000 square foot state of the art training facility, which includes seven professional fields. The facility will be the home to all Inter Miami teams, including its First Team in MLS, Fort Lauderdale CF in USL League One and the youth development Academy. It will also host international clubs, tournaments and local high school sporting events.
