MIAMI — David Beckham stood near the middle of the pitch, soaking it all in as the final touches were being made at Inter Miami’s Nu Stadium, the club’s co-owner glancing up at the scoreboard and all the work that had already been completed.
Beckham was. among the first to kick a soccer ball before Inter Miami star Lionel Messi and his teammates held an open training practice for season ticket holders on Thursday.
Messi, Rodrigo De Paul and Luis Suárez were among the first players to touch the pitch as several thousand fans took in the $350 million venue before it officially opens Saturday, April 4 at 7:30 p.m. against Austin FC.
Messi was limited in practice after a two-game stint with Argentina, but expected to start Saturday.
“This is a stadium that was born out of a dream,” Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas said. “Six years ago, we didn’t have a club. For us, it’s important. It was always our dream to build a special football stadium. It is a global sport. We’re a global city. I want this to be the home of football in the United States of America.”
Among the highlights of the European-style, soccer-specific venue with 26,700 seats:– The Leo Messi Stand dedicated to the two-time MLS MVP, spanning from sections 117-121 in the lower bowl and 217-223 in the upper bowl in the middle of the pitch — dedicated to the two-time MLS MVP and Argentine World Cup champion.
“I was talking to Leo there about the stadium, the experience, how he felt of seeing Lionel Messi stand when he walks out of the tunnel,” Mas said. “And for a living player, that’s unheard of. It’s going to be amazing.”
David Beckham gets a view of Inter Miami’s Nu Stadium right in the middle of the pitch.
Becks taking it all in. pic.twitter.com/tOhGLkuJAl
— Safid Deen 💯💯💯💯 (@Safid_Deen) April 2, 2026
— Large photos of Inter Miami memories from the 2025 MLS Cup title run welcome fans after a climb of about 50 steps onto the first concourse.— The seats are alternated in pink, gray and white with black seats used to spell out Inter Miami and to shape a heron, the team’s mascot. However, there are still some seats to be installed and numbered before the opening match.
With the opener two days away, thousands of security and police personnel were on hand for the test event. While the areas surrounding the stadium and parking garage will remain under construction, there are sectioned off areas for fans to navigate toward the stadium. The plan remains to have as much of the venue complete for the opener.“We have some things obviously to finish and touch up and things that happen with construction,” Mas said. “But the most important thing for me is to give an amazing experience, a place where we’ll be very hard to beat.”Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano added: “Hopefully, Saturday, the stadium will be full. It’s almost sold out. It’ll be a great day for everybody that has been with the club.”
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami take their first steps on the Nu Stadium pitch for a practice before Saturday’s opener. pic.twitter.com/m1Kr0jtQPZ
— Safid Deen 💯💯💯💯 (@Safid_Deen) April 2, 2026
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Inter Miami Nu Stadium
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