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Lionel Messi's Inter Miami will meet New York City Football Club (NYCFC) in the first Major League Soccer (MLS) match of the 2025 season, according to a schedule released on Thursday.
The 37-year-old Argentine great guided Inter Miami to the best MLS record last season, but the team was defeated by Atlanta in the first round of the playoffs.
Miami's home opener will be against NYCFC on February 22, sandwiched between the team's legs of a CONCACAF Champions Cup series versus Kansas City on February 18 and 25.
Messi and his colleagues will play Eastern Conference foes as well as Western Conference opponents San Jose, Houston, and Minnesota.
On August 16, the David Beckham-owned football team will face off against West rivals Dallas, Seattle, and defending MLS champion Los Angeles Galaxy.
The Galaxy will begin the 2025 season at home against MLS expansion team San Diego on February 23.
San Diego's debut represents the 30th MLS club in the league's 30th season, in which each team will play 34 games, evenly split between road and home.
The league will also honor its original 1996 season when DC United visits San Jose on April 6 for a rematch of the first MLS game.
United will also face the Galaxy on July 12 in a replay of the inaugural MLS Cup final.
The 2025 MLS All-Star Game will be held in Austin on July 23.
However, the MLS season will be paused from June 15 to 24 for the 32-team Fifa Club World Cup and 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup, both of which will be held in the United States.
Inter Miami and Seattle Sounders will participate in the Club World Cup.
The 2025 Leagues Cup between MLS and Mexico's LIGA MX clubs will take place from July 29 to August 31.
