Inter Miami will open its new permanent stadium on Saturday, which will bring them in line with NFL and NBA franchises in terms of matchday and commercial revenue, and features a stand in honor of their captain, Lionel Messi, almost three years after construction began.
Inter Miami, the current MLS Cup champion, will host Austin in the first match at its new home, Nu Stadium, for sponsorship reasons, in the sixth round of MLS.
With a capacity of 26,700 spectators, including luxury boxes overlooking the tunnel, the club expects gate receipts to increase by more than 30% over last year’s figures at Chase Stadium, a temporary stadium for around 21,000 spectators located in Fort Lauderdale, north of Miami.
In comparison, the Nu Stadium is located near downtown Miami, in the vicinity of the international airport. It is the heart of the ‘Miami Freedom Park’, an extensive 53-hectare site whose construction is still underway to shape a public park, commercial spaces, hotels and offices.
A source of income post-Messi
The construction of the stadium opens up a new revenue stream for Inter Miami, which became the most valuable club in MLS at the start of the 2026 season, with a valuation of $1.45 billion, according to a report by Sportico.
In addition to ticket sales and merchandising, with a much larger store than Chase Stadium, the club also hopes its new home will host concerts and other shows.
According to Sportico, only half of the NFL teams and about eight NBA teams will generate more matchday and commercial revenue than Inter Miami in 2026.
One of the first forms of exploitation was the contract signed with Brazilian digital bank Nubank to name the stadium.
The agreement also includes Nu’s logo on the back of Inter Miami’s shirt, and two spaces in the stadium: a premium lounge for 770 people, and Nu Plaza, a community center with meeting spaces, a giant screen and seating.
In addition, Inter Miami has already closed its first concert. Mexican singer Carin Leon will become the first artist to perform there on June 28, as part of his North American tour.
All this to amortize an investment that, just with the stadium, cost $350 million, according to estimates by the Miami Herald.
A tribute to Messi
On the footballing side, the stadium is already ready to host Austin, with the pitch, stands and lighting in good condition.
In addition, it features the novelty of hosting the ‘Leo Messi’ stand, which pays tribute to the Argentine star while he is still an active player at the club, an unusual case in sport.
In the stands, the player’s name is written in white letters on a pink background, and there are signs with the number 10, in reference to his shirt number.
Messi has been a fundamental pillar for the club’s sporting and economic success since his arrival in Miami in the summer of 2023. With him, the team has not only become the most valuable in MLS, but has also won a Leagues Cup (2023), a Supporters’ Shield (2024) and an MLS Cup (2025).
The end of the odyssey
To get to this point, however, Inter Miami had to go through an odyssey to find a place where they could build their stadium.
Founded in 2018 by a group consisting of former soccer player David Beckham and local businessmen Jorge and Jose Mas, the team did not play its first official match until 2020, a date from which six years will have passed without a permanent field.
Chase Stadium was a temporary solution while Inter Miami searched for a venue that met its needs and the conditions of the local authorities.
The original idea for the permanent stadium was to locate it at the Port of Miami, on land owned by Miami-Dade County, but this was blocked by the authorities, as was the alternative of building it next to the Kaseya Center, which is home to the NBA’s Miami Heat.
A plan to take it to the outskirts of the Little Havana neighborhood also failed, and it was not until 2022 that the city granted them a 99-year lease to replace a golf course with the site where the Nu Stadium now stands.
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