DALLAS — Messi is returning to Texas!

FC Dallas will host Inter Miami CF in a preseason friendly at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas’ Fair Park on Monday, according to FC Dallas. 

Inter Miami’s return means global sensation Lionel Messi is returning to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Messi was in Frisco last August with Inter Miami during the Leagues Cup game at Toyota Stadium. You could say Messi's appearance 

“We’re looking forward to playing in the Cotton Bowl and welcoming Inter Miami CF to the iconic stadium that served as our franchise’s original home,” said FC Dallas President Dan Hunt. “This is a great way to kick off 2024 and get the DFW market excited about our players and the upcoming MLS season.”

The match will take place at 5 p.m. FC Dallas hasn’t played at the Cotton Bowl since Sept. 30, 2009.

“It's been a while since the last time we were at the Cotton Bowl,” Carlos Alvarado, FCD’s Spanish radio voice, told the FC Dallas news team. “And this time with Messi, it will be a great opportunity for all of those who didn’t see him in Frisco last summer."

“For Messi, this will be his first time at the Cotton Bowl. He's been in Arlington at AT&T Stadium and in our Toyota Stadium, but not at the Cotton Bowl,” said Alvarado.

That day in 2009 was also the last time FC Dallas played at the Cotton Bowl. The Cotton Bowl served as the home for the club up until the Toyota Center was built in Frisco, Texas. I guess you can say the team is excited to return.

“We are thrilled to welcome FC Dallas back to the Cotton Bowl, their original home, for a match against Inter Miami,” said Dallas Mayor Eric L. Johnson. “Dallas is a dynamic city with deep soccer roots, and this highly anticipated match will certainly generate even more soccer buzz as we get ready to host the FIFA World Cup 2026.”

There are still tickets available for the historic matchup.

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