Sporting KC moves match with Lionel Messi, Inter Miami CF to Arrowhead Stadium

For the first time since a 2-1 defeat of Manchester United in 2010, Sporting KC will play a match at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

Sporting will host Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF on Saturday, April 13, at Arrowhead — not Children’s Mercy Park, as previously anticipated — the club announced on Monday afternoon. It will be Sporting’s first MLS regular-season match at Arrowhead since 2007.

Sporting KC President and CEO Jake Reid spoke with reporters on Monday afternoon. According to Reid, the overwhelming interest the club received with Messi’s Miami squad landing on the schedule led to the decision.

“I think the reality for us is: We want as many people from Kansas City as possible to go to this game,” Reid said.

With a little more than 21,000 seats and standing-room-only tickets available to the public, if the game were to be held at Children’s Mercy Park, the demand likely would’ve led to astronomical ticket prices.

Earlier on Monday morning, it was released that the “get-in price” for a preseason match between FC Dallas and Inter Miami at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas would start at $105. Last year, when Messi and Inter Miami traveled to Dallas during the Leagues Cup, the cheapest ticket price skyrocketed to $459.

“The demand for tickets and the price would’ve been out of reach for the majority of folks,” Reid said. “So this allows us to cast a wide net, and everybody who wants to come see the game hopefully has an opportunity to do so.”

Reid says ticket prices for the general public will start at $65. Tickets will go on sale through Ticketmaster at 12 p.m. on Tuesday, January 16, and the match is still scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on April 13.

For season-ticket holders, Reid said they aimed to give them tickets that are comparable to or better than what they would have had at Children’s Mercy Park.

“Ultimately, that was the first concern, was making sure season-ticket holders were taken care of,” Reid said.

Sporting is one of three Western Conference teams that will host Inter Miami and its star-studded roster led by Messi, a World Cup champion and one of the greatest soccer players of all-time.

Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez, who starred at Barcelona and Liverpool, joined up with Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba at Inter Miami this offseason. The four were a core part of Barcelona’s European dominance during the 2010s.

While into the twilight of their respective careers, Suarez and Messi combined for 13 trophies, including four La Liga titles and a UEFA Champions League, in just six seasons together. Suarez scored 146 goals with Barcelona, while Messi is credited with 474 in his 17 years with the club.

Being able to bring not just Messi but a multitude of powerhouse names is similar to the recognizable brand of the KC vs. Manchester United meeting in 2010.

That match over the years has been considered by Reid, Peter Vermes and many others as a major catalyst for the club’s growth and momentum that they carried with them through the rebrand, into Children’s Mercy Park’s opening and through the title run in 2013.

While the draw of hosting Messi and Miami — with a larger-than-typical crowd expected — is clearly a factor in the decision to bring the match to Arrowhead, Sporting will also honor the 28th anniversary of the club’s inaugural match.

On April 13, 1996, the Kansas City Wiz took to the field at Arrowhead against the Colorado Rapids. That match was a 3-0 victory for “the Wiz,” with two goals scored by Vitalis “Digital” Takawira and another by current Chicago Fire manager Frank Klopas. The attendance that day at Arrowhead was 21,141.

April’s match against Inter Miami will most likely smash Sporting’s single-game MLS attendance record of 32,867, set on September 27, 2007. A near-capacity crowd at Arrowhead would certainly beat their all-time attendance record of 52,342, when the club defeated Manchester United in that friendly in 2010.

Daniel Sperry covers soccer for The Star. He can be reached at sperry.danielkc@gmail.com.

This story was originally published January 8, 2024 at 1:00 PM.