Soccer superstar Lionel Messi is expected to join Inter Miami in North Texas on Monday to take on FC Dallas at the Cotton Bowl and fans are excited.
Franco Amieva is a big fan of soccer and FC Dallas. He is even part of the team's official band Murga 117. But when it comes to Monday's matchup against Inter Miami he’s a fan of an opposing player.
“I believe everyone is a Messi fan,” Amieva said.
He’ll be super excited to see Lionel Messi from the opposing team.
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If Messi is on the pitch, it'll mark the second time he's played here in six months. Unfortunately, Amieva missed him back in August.
“The tickets got saturated,” Amieva said. “Everybody wanted to buy them. It got expensive for a lot of people.”
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He won't miss out this time. He said it's a chance to see a once-in-a-lifetime type of athlete.
“It’s the style of soccer he brings is different,” Amieva said. “One person catches the ball and you see his earlier stuff and he was destroying everybody.”
Officials tell NBC 5 that Messi is expected to play a half. Fans will also get to see another soccer star, Luis Suarez, for the first time in DFW playing for Miami.
Many milestones are happening on Monday. It's also the first time FC Dallas will play at the Cotton Bowl in 15 years.
The team used to call the stadium its home when they were known as the Dallas Burn. The last game played at the location was back in September 2009.
It's a fitting reunion with the Cotton Bowl, happening against the most star-studded roster in Major League Soccer history.
"Messi Mania" first arrived to North Texas in August 2023, when Messi made his debut playing in texas.
Inter-miami defeated FC Dallas in a penalty kick shoot out at Toyota Stadium in Frisco but it wasn't a loss for everyone.
Tourism officials at the time said the match brought a $3 million economic impact to the city.
Even FC Dallas president Dan Hunt respects Messi's abilities and what his fandom brings to the game.
“This is an opportunity to enjoy greatness,” FC Dallas president Dan Hunt said. “When you have one of the two greatest players of all time it’s great to share that with the world. The fact we get to have Lionel Messi here in Dallas twice in less than six months is just an unbelievable testament to this market and the demand for soccer.”
GOING TO THE GAME?
As for conditions at the Cotton Bowl on Monday NBC 5 weather experts are calling for highs in the low 50s and a possibility for wet weather, but that won't keep true soccer and Messi fans away.
“You see that the weather never bothers us at all so we are there in the rain. We are there in the cold. We are going to be there Monday as well.”
Gates open at 3 p.m. and the match kicks off at 5 p.m. Tickets are still available at the Fair Park website and other major ticket sites including Seat Geek, the official fan-to-fan marketplace of Fair Park and Cotton Bowl Stadium.
Officials are encouraging fans to arrive as early as possible. Rain jackets and ponchos are recommended -- possibly even a small towel -- but keep in mind umbrellas are not allowed inside Cotton Bowl stadium.
Click here for more information on prohibited items and the bag policy.
