The 2024 MLS season begins Wednesday evening when Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF host Real Salt Lake to formally start their highly-anticipated year.
How to watch & stream
When
- Wednesday, February 21 | 8 pm ET/5 pm PT
Where
- Chase Stadium | Fort Lauderdale, Florida
After this cross-conference opener, Inter Miami will jet cross-country to visit the LA Galaxy on Sunday, Feb. 25 (9 pm ET | MLS Season Pass) – giving the GOAT a double feature for MLS is Back.
Messi's arrival last July was transformative, both for Inter Miami and North American soccer as a whole. He carried the Herons to a Leagues Cup title and earned a world-record eighth Ballon d'Or award, fresh off leading Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title.
That was packed into a half-season. What about the full show in 2024?
Continuing forward momentum will require co-starring efforts from Inter Miami's three other FC Barcelona alumni: striker Luis Suárez, midfielder Sergio Busquets and left back Jordi Alba. Same for a supporting cast that includes center back Nicolás Freire and Julian Gressel, two offseason signings alongside Suárez. And youngsters like midfielders Diego Gómez and Benjamin Cremaschi (when back healthy).
There are questions about Inter Miami's defense and ability to navigate multiple competitions. But for now, excitement is soaring around arguably the most talented squad in MLS history.
Real Salt Lake are, as a club, nearly the polar opposite of Inter Miami. But they're certainly not short of stars or intrigue.
In the first category, striker Cristian Arango and midfielder Diego Luna are the biggest draws. Arango, a 2022 MLS Cup-Supporters' Shield double winner and 2021 MLS Newcomer of the Year while at LAFC, became RSL's club-record signing upon arriving last summer. Luna, meanwhile, is a rising US youth international who's coming off a breakout season. Don't sleep on winger Andrés Gómez, either.
In the second category, head coach Pablo Mastroeni's teams are always hard to play against. Whether it's goalkeeper Zac MacMath, center back Justen Glad, or midfielder Pablo Ruiz, there's a grittiness and ruggedness that's empowered three straight Audi MLS Cup Playoffs appearances.
The transfer market could bring new stars for RSL, especially after DP attackers Jefferson Savarino and Damir Kreilach left this winter. For now, left back Alexandros Katranis and midfielder Matt Crooks are their big newcomers.
