The Major League Soccer (MLS) has unveiled the highly anticipated schedule for its 2024 season, with Inter Miami set to open the campaign with a standalone match on February 21. The game, which will feature global football superstar Lionel Messi, is scheduled to kick off at 8 p.m. ET and marks the earliest start to an MLS season in the league's history.

Inter Miami, co-owned by international music icon David Beckham, will face off against Real Salt Lake at their home base in South Florida. This historic match will take place merely six days after Inter Miami concludes their preseason preparations with a final international friendly. The team's preseason tour will see them travel to El Salvador, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, and Japan, culminating in a friendly against Messi's childhood club, Newell's Old Boys, on February 15 in Fort Lauderdale.

For Inter Miami head coach Tata Martino, careful squad management will be vital during the winter season, given the presence of Messi, along with former Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and Luis Suarez. This quartet of renowned players is expected to be the main attraction during Inter Miami's global tour and pivotal to the team's ambitions of winning multiple trophies in 2024.

During a recent Ballon d'Or ceremony at Inter Miami's DRV Pink Stadium, Messi expressed his excitement for the upcoming season, stating, "Next year will be much better. We're going to keep on having fun, keep on winning titles."

Following the opener, MLS action will continue with 14 matches played over the weekend of February 24-25, including Inter Miami traveling to Los Angeles to face the Galaxy. Notably, the league will reprise the highly anticipated "LA Galaxy vs. LAFC" match on Thursday, July 4 at 10:30 p.m. ET, aiming to replicate the record-breaking crowd of 82,110 fans that witnessed the clash at the Rose Bowl last year.

The MLS regular season will be capped off with Decision Day on Saturday, October 19, where all teams in each conference will kick off simultaneously. This thrilling conclusion will pave the way for the MLS Cup, which is set to take place on Saturday, December 7.

In addition to the regular season, MLS and Liga MX will once again pause their respective campaigns to compete in the second edition of the Leagues Cup. This tournament, involving 47 teams from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, will begin on July 26, just 12 days after the Copa América final in Miami. Inter Miami, along with Lionel Messi, will defend their title as reigning champions.

MLS announced that three berths to the CONCACAF Champions Cup will be up for grabs during the Leagues Cup, and organizers are expected to make changes to the tournament's format based on feedback from fans and participating clubs.

As excitement builds for the upcoming 2024 MLS season, fans can look forward to witnessing the star power of Messi in action as he dons the Inter Miami jersey for the first time, adding an electrifying spark to the league.