Lionel Messi, who’ll play at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on Feb. 14, 2025. Credit: Photo via Debby Wong/Shutterstock.com

The arrival of Inter Miami CF is one of the biggest events happening in Tampa Bay this year, but until this week, no one could really be sure that its star player—Lionel Messi—would actually play.

Football fans got an answer yesterday when Inter Miami CF coach Javier Mascherano told the Miami Herald that the 37-year-old GOAT and World Cup champion would 100% take the field for the matchup against Orlando City in Tampa.

In a press release, Mascherano shared plans to get all of his players “as many minutes as possible” to keep them in rhythm for the team’s match against Kansas City next week.

That probably means no Messi chicken sandwiches for the guys at the Hard Rock either.

Messi’s local appearance follows in the footsteps of other soccer legends like Pele (who clashed with the Tampa Bay Rowdies when he played for the NASL’s New York Cosmos) and even Ronaldinho who met fans at Hard Rock Tampa last summer.

Somehow, tickets to see Inter Miami FC take on Orlando City at Raymond James Stadium on Friday, Feb. 14 are still available and start at $49.