MLS
El Salvador gripped by Lionel Messi fever ahead of Inter Miami pre-season friendly
Messi’s Herons will start their preparations for the 2024 MLS season by facing the El Salvador national team in San Salvador.
Inter Miami will get 2024 underway in El Salvador, with David Beckham’s “galácticos” kicking off their gruelling pre-season schedule with a friendly match against the national team of the Central American nation. Head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino is expected to have a full roster to work with, which means new signing Luis Suárez could line up alongside former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi, while Jonathan Gressel, another recent arrival, may also make his debut. With still over a week to go until the game at Estadio Cuscatlán, “Messimania” has already started to kick in.
Inter Miami’s air miles before 2024 MLS season
Inter Miami are still in Florida preparing for the first match of a what looks to be an intense pre-season plan, in which they will travel more almost 9000 miles in two weeks, visiting three continents. On Monday, Messi returned to Fort Lauderdale for the first training session of the year as Las Garzas began preparing for the trip to El Salvador. Martino, meanwhile, continues scouring the transfer market for additional reinforcements.
A new era for El Salvador before 2026 World Cup
The El Salvador national team, meanwhile, are beginning a new era under Spanish coach David Dóniga, who was appointed at the start of January. The 42-year-old will be tasked with qualifying for 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada, which will be a big ask given La Selecta haven’t featured in the tournament since 1982.
Dóniga has already had his first training sessions with his new players and has indicated his objectives will be to make them more organised and defensively solid.
How much do tickets cost for El Salvador - Inter Miami?
The 44,000-capacity Cuscatlán Stadium, located in the capital city of San Salvador, will host El Salvador against Inter Miami, scheduled for Friday 19 January (kick-off at 8:00 p.m. ET). According to local reports, the cheapest tickets were snapped up in the blink of an eye, with the most economical seats currently available costing $200. The most expensive tickets will set fans back just over $500.
No financial benefit for Salvadoran clubs
Hosting Messi, Suárez, Busquets, Alba and friends is set to be a unique event in El Salvador, although not everyone is pleased about how it’s being managed. “A huge star like Messi is coming and everyone is going to want to be there,” said Samuel Gálvez, president of the Salvadoran First Division. However, clubs in the country will barely see any of the money generated by the MLS team’s visit. “Neither Fesfut (the Salvadoran Football Federation) nor the First Division are getting much. The First Division isn’t getting anything from the game against Inter Miami.”