BALTIMORE — Messi’s Soccer League — or Major League Soccer, as it will be known again when the Argentine maestro one day returns home — went on a new tour Saturday.
Inter Miami is Cirque du Soleil, sending a supernatural circus ringmaster to captivate audiences beyond its regular touring stops with unparalleled performance artistry.
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Lionel Messi is MLS and the sport’s biggest draw, so this offseason he traveled to Peru, Colombia and Ecuador for friendlies, and two weeks ago he spent a night in Puerto Rico where he was assaulted by an invading fan and a security guard.
Los Angeles Football Club’s season opener was moved from the tidy BMO Stadium across the park to the vast Coliseum.
Inter Miami beat the Inner Harbor 2-1 on Saturday in a tense 2-1 matchup against D.C. United, which sacrificed home field advantage for an NFL stadium 37 miles north that sold 3.5 times more tickets than Audi Field.
M&T Bank Stadium announced a sell-out capacity of 72,026, with thousands of Messi in attendance — and thousands more empty seats — helping to offset a significant drop in attendance for United in 2025 and lackluster attendance for the 2026 home opener two weeks ago.
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Moving to a bigger location is good business — no controversy — but it also gives off a carnival vibe. Three decades since its inception, Major League Soccer remains a thirsty operation, relying on Messi and other late-career big-name players to gain attention outside the league bubble. From a competitive perspective, United doesn’t do the team any favors; it’s all about revenue and marketing.
Miami welcomes pink support.
“It’s definitely good to be able to go to an away game and know that sometimes you might have more supporters than the actual home team,” goaltender Dane St. Clair said. “Obviously, that’s not the case in every stadium, but I think that was certainly the case tonight.”
No matter where Inter Miami plays, reigning MLS MVP and MLS Cup champion Lionel Messi remains a huge draw.
(Patrick Smith via Getty Images)
Messi was at the center of this, following instructions to go wherever he was directed, probably without any idea where Baltimore was or why he was there.
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He did know where he was Thursday: at the White House, in a time of war, shaking hands with President Donald Trump, the FIFA Peace Prize winner, at a ceremony honoring the reigning MLS Cup champions.
As we all know, Messi is not a political figure, but he has been in trouble before as a well-paid Saudi tourism ambassador. The White House invitation was to Inter Miami, not Messi himself, but given Messi’s outsized influence at the club and league, he and his agent could have quietly blocked the invitation.
Messi is so popular and his brand so solid, but the potential damage from appearing alongside a polarizing politician ahead of his expected World Cup farewell in North America this summer may not be too great.
The trip to the White House was not without its awkwardness. When Trump talked about the bombing of Iran, Messi, who was standing on the president’s right side, shifted his weight back and forth, lowered his head, and coughed nervously into his left hand.
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Trump’s comments about football brought a smile to Messi’s face; he doesn’t speak English but clearly understands some. He then presented Trump with a commemorative pink ball.
President Donald Trump receives the soccer trophy from Lionel Messi during an event honoring 2025 Major League Soccer champions Inter Miami in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, March 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
(Associated Press)
Asked about the trip to the White House during a video call with reporters on Friday, coach Javier Mascherano said in Spanish: “I thought we were going to talk about football.” He then explained that the visit had been in the works for several months and followed the protocols of championship teams.
St. Clair said Trump’s political rhetoric in front of the team was “definitely a little awkward… and turned off a lot of people because it was supposed to be about the team and winning last year… It was something we had no control over and we didn’t know that was going to be a part of it.”
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Last year, Macy declined an invitation from then-President Joe Biden to the White House to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, citing a scheduling conflict.
D.C. United isn’t the first team to try to maximize Messi’s spectacle, although other efforts have caused controversy. Last year, the Columbus Crew angered many loyal supporters by moving its home game against Miami 150 miles north to NFL Stadium in Cleveland, where a crowd of 60,614 was three times the normal attendance. (The Haslem family owns both the Crew and Browns.)
“It’s nice to be able to play in such a beautiful stadium in front of such a big crowd,” D.C. coach Rene Weiler said Saturday. “We hope for a good result in the end, but the atmosphere is great.”
Two years ago, Miami’s road game against Kansas City was played at Arrowhead Stadium with a capacity of 18,457, four times the capacity of Sports Park.
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Messi’s promotion also backfired. Last year, MLS and the Whitecaps faced a class-action lawsuit after a much-hyped deal never came to fruition. Fans received significant discounts on food and beverages, and last week the British Columbia Supreme Court approved a $329,000 settlement.
Two years ago, when Messi injured his ankle six weeks before he was scheduled to play at Soldier Field, the Chicago Fire made an emergency offer of free tickets to future games that season and discounted seats the following year if he didn’t play. (He did not compete.)
DC fans have never seen Messi at Audi Field. His 2023 Major League debut came after Miami’s only trip to Washington, and he was injured in the years that followed. In formulating this year’s schedule, United ignored not only its own 20,000-capacity venue in the city, but also the uninspiring Northwest Stadium, home of the NFL’s Washington Commanders, just a few miles east of the city.
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On February 21, the stadium’s attendance of 75,673 was the second-largest attendance for a single game in league history, behind only the 2023 LAFC-LA Galaxy derby at the Rose Bowl (82,110). This year most fans are rooting for the home team, not Miami.
Next month, Miami’s game in Denver will be played at an NFL field instead of an MLS parklet.
In Baltimore, where ticket prices are much higher than a regular game at Audi Field, the cheapest seats on the resale market before kickoff start at $78.65 in the upper corner.
The crowd was a mix of people who wanted to see Messi and Miami, people who supported Washington, D.C., and people who were interested in attending the big event. United’s black and red mix with Miami’s pink against a backdrop of the Ravens’ purple seats.
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The visiting team wasn’t confused or intimidated by the larger-than-usual crowd.
“People outside can make some noise,” Mascherano said, “but they don’t play.”
United should get more support given its proximity to Washington. But after years of neglect from Washington ownership and poor to mediocre performances, the stadium looks and sounds like a neutral venue.
Miami took the lead in the 17th minute thanks to a D.C. turnover. Lucas Bartlett handed possession to German Germán Berterame on the baseline, who fed the ball to Telasco Segovia, who in turn found Rodrigo De Paul for a fine 12-yard shot.
“It’s a gift, that first goal,” Weller said. “This was not expected, but maybe [D.C. was] I was a little nervous because of the atmosphere, the crowd in the stadium and of course the opponents. “
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Ten minutes later, Messi raced in behind Bartlett, latched on to a lovely ball from Matteo Silvetti and at one point headed past helpless goalkeeper Sean Johnson from eight yards.
Except for a hook shot that went just wide by DC’s Louis Munteneau, there was no suspense in the second half until the 75th minute.
Miami’s sloppiness gave United an opportunity to counterattack. St. Clair’s diving save thwarted Jackson Hopkins, but Ty Baribeau recovered the rebound.
United were full of confidence, while Miami’s questionable defense was mired in pressure. This is indeed an unexpected development given the disparity between the clubs.
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“The feeling of not being able to control the game is unusual for us because we usually do that,” Mascherano said. “When we don’t do that, you can tell we get upset.”
DePaul squandered a great opportunity to seal the victory. Messi held on until the final whistle. Those star-struck viewers seemed satisfied.
Miami and Messi have their work cut out for them here, albeit somewhat uncomfortable. The show goes on.
