Noche d’Or: Inter Miami to celebrate Lionel Messi's Ballon d’Or in friendly vs. NYCFC

Inter Miami CF, in recognition of Lionel Messi winning his world-record eighth Ballon d’Or award, are hosting a friendly match against New York City FC at DRV PNK Stadium on Friday, Nov. 10 (8 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).

The game is part of “Noche d’Or,” a first-of-its-kind event that begins at 6 pm ET and will see Messi’s historic trophy be presented to fans pregame.

Fiesta d’Or

Aside from the pregame trophy presentation, there will also be speeches from Messi himself, as well as Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas and MLS Commissioner Don Garber.

Following the match, Inter Miami will host a BRESH afterparty in the XBTO NW Club, a hospitality space at their home venue. Specialty food and beverage options will be available.

The presentation will also feature gold fireworks, a gold carpet and more.

Purchase tickets

Inter Miami CF 2024 season ticket members: Available during a presale window starting Friday, Nov. 3 at 10 am ET.
General tickets: Go on sale to the public on Friday, Nov. 3 at 2 pm ET.

Watch on Apple TV

Fans in more than 100 countries and regions can tune in to the match live on Apple TV through MLS Season Pass in English and Spanish.

MLS Season Pass can be accessed through the Apple TV app on smart TVs, streaming devices, Apple devices, set-top boxes, and game consoles, as well as on the web at tv.apple.com.

Messi’s year

Messi, at Monday’s ceremony in Paris, became the first active MLS player to win the Ballon d’Or – an annual trophy given to the best player in the world – by beating out Manchester City forward Erling Haaland (2nd place) and Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappé (3rd place). He’s received the award a world-record eight times, three more than the second player on the list (Cristiano Ronaldo; five).

This past year was a memorable one for the Argentine icon, who captained and guided his country’s first World Cup title win since 1986 – sealed by a penalty kick shootout triumph over France. After his breakthrough at Qatar 2022, Messi won the World Cup’s Golden Ball (best player) and Silver Boot (second-highest scorer) awards.

At club level, Messi won the 2022-23 Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain. He was also voted Ligue 1 Best Foreign Player of the Season after scoring 16 goals and adding 16 assists.

Miami and Messi

That all preceded Messi formally joining Inter Miami in mid-July and having an immediate impact, helping the Herons lift the 2023 Leagues Cup (the club’s first-ever trophy) and advance to the 2023 US Open Cup final. In all, Messi tallied 11 goals and eight assists in 14 appearances during his first half-season.

The 2024 MLS campaign is expected to be a thrilling one for Messi, who’s joined in Miami by ex-FC Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. Their competitive slate begins in February when the club debuts in the Concacaf Champions Cup.

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