MLS
Where will the US Open Cup final be played? A Super Bowl stadium awaits Messi
Inter Miami plan to hold the US Open Cup final at a stadium with 50,000 more seats than DRV PNK Stadium.
Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami beat Cincinnati in the semi-final of the US Open Cup, sending them to the final. However, DRV PNK Stadium may be too small given the expected demand, so the decision could be made to change the venue for the game.
Messi has once again reaffirmed his legendary status in the game of football by putting Inter Miami into their first ever US Open Cup final. The Argentine star got two crucial assists, one of them with clock at the eleventh hour, to force extra time and the subsequent penalties that would see his team qualify for the final game.
When will the US Open Cup final be played?
On the other side of the draw, Houston Dynamo also needed extra time to beat Real Salt Lake 3-1. This means that the Texan team will visit Miami on September 27 with the intention of depriving Messi of his second title since he landed in the United States.
Where will the US Open Cup final be played?
The Florida team expect the match against the Houston Dynamo will bring with it a huge influx of fans, meaning that it is possible the DRV PNK Stadium, the usual home of Inter Miami, quickly becomes too small compared to the demand for tickets to the showpiece event. Huge demand to see the Argentine in the US is not a new phenomenon, as tickets to Messi’s MLS debut against NYRB have risen to over $20,000.
That is why, according to various sources from Argentina, the Inter Miami executives are considering the possibility of holding the match at the Hard Rock Stadium, the venue where the Miami Dolphins play their NFL home games. This would mean an increase in capacity of more than 54,000 spectators, practically trebling the total number that would be able to watch the match at the DRV PNK Stadium.
US Open Cup
A historic stadium for Miami
Hard Rock Stadium is one of the most significant landmarks in the city of Florida. Located in Gardens, a residential area north of the city, the stadium has a total capacity of 75,540 spectators. It was inaugurated in 1987 and is planned to be one of the venues for the 2026 World Cup.
In addition to hosting certain games for the Miami Hurricanes (the city’s university team), it has hosted Copa América matches, a total of 6 Super Bowls, is part of the Formula 1 Miami GP tour, among the hundreds of massive other events it has been used for since it was built.
