When Lionel Messi, Inter Miami Plays Revolution At Gillette

The New England Revolution on Wednesday released their 2024 MLS season schedule, and soccer fans knew when to mark their calendars for when Lionel Messi arrives at Gillette Stadium.

Messi signed with Inter Miami last summer, and New England already hosted the David Beckham-owned side, so fans weren’t able to catch him during his hot run in the United States.

Revolution fans will get their chance to catch Messi at Gillette on April 27 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on Apple TV+ through MLS Season Pass, but the race for tickets will be a hectic one.

“The upper level in Gillette Stadium is normally closed for Revolution games and the second deck tends to be sparsely populated, but New England is expecting a full stadium sellout,” MassLive’s Connor Pignatello wrote.

MassLive added that 25,000 tickets already have been sold from season memberships, multi-game packs and corporate hospitality deals. The MLS regular-season match is anticipated to be the highest-attended Revolution game in the 28-year history of the club. Individual tickets are expected to be sold starting in February.

“Hopefully it’s a great experience off the field, a great experience on the field, and it encourages (fans) to come to more games,” team president Brian Bilello told MassLive.

The Revolution set a new club attendance record this year with an average attendance of 23,940, per MassLive. The team experienced a 43% increase in attendance, and while a new soccer-specific stadium wasn’t approved by the Massachusetts legislature, the Kraft family made renovations to Gillette Stadium that should serve to benefit the Patriots and Revolution.

New England moved on from the Bruce Arena controversy when it hired Caleb Porter as its next head coach this week.

The Revolution’s 2024 schedule begins with a CONCACAF Champions League match against Panamanian side Independiente de La Chorrera on Feb. 21. The MLS opener for New England is Feb. 24 against D.C. United.