CLEVELAND — Huntington Bank Field may have missed out on one global superstar when Taylor Swift didn't attend the Browns-Chiefs game last week, but this spring, the venue will host a different star as the Columbus Crew take on Inter Miami CF—Lionel Messi.
The Crew will host Inter Miami, Messi's club, on April 19, 2025, inside Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland.
It will be the first-ever Major League Soccer regular season game played in Northeast Ohio, an already anticipated event heightened by the prospect of Messi taking the pitch.
The Crew-Inter Miami matchup being played in Cleveland has been an idea in the works for some time. It nearly happened last year, but the stars didn't align.
The Haslam Sports Group—which owns the Crew and the Cleveland Browns, who call Huntington Bank Field home—had wanted to expand their reach to soccer fans outside of Columbus while also allowing more fans to attend a game that is sure to be in high demand.
Lower.com Field, home of the Crew in Columbus, can house 20,371 spectators. Huntington Bank Field can house 67,431. With the crowd Messi's star power would draw, Haslam Sports Group laid out a plan.
"We wanted to ensure that we could host as many people as possible and Cleveland Browns Stadium will host three times as many people as Lower.com Field. And we care about growing the game in the state of Ohio," said Josh Glessing, chief of strategy and Development for Haslam Sports Group, back in June. "And then also based simply on economics by having more seats we can also lower the entry point into the stadium so we can engage with more fans, give more people the opportunity to watch the Columbus Crew take on Lionel Messi and Inter Miami and also make the entry price point lower."
Last season, Huntington Bank Field nearly played host to one of the most highly esteemed athletes in the world—soccer superstar Lionel Messi.
The plans from last year are carried over, and in the Crew's upcoming season, they'll host Messi and Inter Miami in Cleveland.
While there's excitement about growing the game in Cleveland, the Crew's already loyal fans will have options for benefits to the game. Season ticket holders will have access to:
- One complimentary parking pass per season ticket account
- One food and beverage voucher for a hot dog, chips and drink (beer or soda) for each Season Ticket seat
- Tickets to a post-match on-pitch experience
Tickets for the game are set to go on sale on Jan. 14, 2025, at 10 a.m. Pre-sale will take place on Jan 13 at 3 p.m. for fans who register. To learn more, click here.
