FRISCO, Texas — With the news of Messi's coming to the MLS, FC Dallas fans were wondering when they can feast their eyes on arguably the best soccer player of all-time.
Shortly after the news started circulating online, Dallas' top Google search trends showed his impact on the league before an official announcement from MLS or Inter Miami had even been made:
- "fc dallas vs miami"
- "inter miami vs fc dallas"
- "fc dallas vs inter miami tickets"
- "inter miami schedule"
The short answer: It's still to be determined, but it won't be in MLS regular season play. FC Dallas and Inter Miami already played back in April. FC Dallas won the match on the road, 1-0. FC Dallas and Inter Miami do not have any regular season MLS matches scheduled for the remainder of the 2023 season, and the 2024 MLS schedule has not been released.
There are two possibilities:
- Entering the tournament, there were two ways FC Dallas and Inter Miami could face each other in the Leagues Cup tournament in July: FC Dallas wins their group, and Inter Miami finishes second in theirs. This got scratched out on July 25 after Miami secured the first place spot in its group. The other option would be for Inter Miami to win their group, and FC Dallas finishes second in theirs. Then, Inter Miami and FC Dallas would each need to win their respective Round of 32 matches. The way the tournament is structured, the rules state the Round of 16 between two MLS clubs would be hosted by the club with the better 2022 regular season performance. FC Dallas far outperformed Inter Miami in 2022, and thus, would host in this scenario.
- The other option, which seems even more unlikely given the league's standings, is if Inter Miami (Eastern Conference) and FC Dallas (Western Conference) met in the MLS Cup Final. Inter Miami currently lies last in the MLS Eastern Conference standings so far this season with 18 points (5 wins, 14 losses, 3 ties). FC Dallas, on the other hand, is eighth in the MLS Western Conference standings with 30 points (8 wins, 9 losses, 6 ties).
If Miami and FC Dallas don't get matched up in Leagues Cup in July, all eyes turn to the playoffs.
Messi is tasked with turning around a last place club into a tournament contender in about a third of a season (12 games).
So, there is a chance ... cue Lloyd Christmas.
Messi's arrival also comes as the United States is set to host the 2024 Copa America, which he is expected to lead Argentina in, as well as the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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