That sound you just heard? It’s the scribble of every MLS fan circling the date Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami will come to town. For CF Montreal, it will be May 11 at the Saputo stadium.
Before receiving Messi, the CFM will have faced him at home, in Miami, on March 10.
The arrival of Lionel Messi in the MLS has caused the price of resale tickets to explode. CNBC spoke last August of an increase of 1700%.
CF Montreal will have to play its first six games on the road due to exploratory work at the Olympic Stadium. His first game of the season will take place on February 24 in Orlando. The Bleu-blanc-noir will then play in Dallas on March 2, in Miami on March 10, in Chicago on March 16, in Washington on March 30 and in Seattle on April 6.
CF Montreal’s first home match will take place on April 13 at Saputo Stadium, against FC Cincinnati, the reigning champion team of the last MLS regular season.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY CF MONTRÉAL
The calendar for the 2024 CF Montreal season
All matches in Montreal will take place at Saputo Stadium and start at 7:30 p.m., with the exception of the last match of the season, October 19 against New York City FC, which will start at 6 p.m.
In November, CF Montreal president Gabriel Gervais told The Press that the team will, for the first time in its history, have 10,000 season tickets next season. The arrival of Messi probably, at least in part, helped to inflate these figures. Tickets for individual matches will be available at a later date.
The Coupe des Ligues, which will be in its second edition, will take place from July 26 to August 25.
The MLS Cup final will take place on December 7.
The Copa América, exceptionally contested in the United States this year, is due to take place from June 20 to July 14. MLS will not pause its schedule to accommodate participating players. Which means Messi could miss up to a month of MLS activities at this time, if Argentina makes the final.
This CONMEBOL competition usually governs South American soccer nations, but will welcome CONCACAF teams for its 2024 edition. Canada must win its match against Trinidad and Tobago in March to qualify.